Derby Choral Union

	Derby Choral Union
	founded in 1866

Registered Charity
No. 1010174

Concert Reviews - Christmas Concert 2011

previous review

146th Season

Handel ~ Messiah Derby Cathedral, 17th. December, 2011 Conducted by Richard Dacey xx

Review by Mike Wheeler:
*Derby Choral Union’s way with Handel’s Messiah* has been honed over the years into something fresh and alert.** Right from the crisp account of the opening Sinfony, their latest performance maintained that track record. ‘And the Glory of the Lord’ had real vitality, and there was a fine sense of accumulating energy in ‘For unto us a Child is Born’. Encouraged by conductor Richard Dacey, there was some really punchy singing in the sequence of choruses at the start of Part 2 - incisive attack in ‘Surely he Hath Borne our Griefs’, and a daringly brisk tempo for ‘He Trusted in God’ that paid off in terms of vigour and excitement. Occasionally the tenors sounded under-powered in ‘All we Like Sheep’ and ‘Amen’. The performance was buoyed up by the Heart of England Orchestra’s clean sound and spirited playing, though the ‘Pifa’ (the so-called Pastoral Symphony) was rather on the slow side. The two female soloists had more vibrato than I like in this repertoire but they were both highly expressive	– soprano Elizabeth Weisberg fresh and alert in ‘Rejoice Greatly’, and scaling back her tone for the second half of ‘I Know that My Redeemer Liveth’ to beautifully intimate effect. Mezzo Wendy Dawn Thompson was warmly expressive in ‘He was Despised’. Tenor Nathan Vale delivered ‘Comfort ye’ with quiet authority, though the fast beat in his voice became increasingly persistent throughout the evening. He was nimble in ‘Thou art Gone up on High’, but there was a degree of strain on the high notes in ‘Thou Shalt Dash Them’. Bass Jimmy Holliday had a beautifully rounded tone, but sang virtually all his numbers without ornamentation; the other soloists were much more forthcoming in this respect. I didn’t care for the over-the-top stretching out of the final cadence in the Amen chorus but this was a small blemish on an invigorating performance. Mike Wheeler Derby Telegraph, 21st. December, 2011
Here is some feeback from members of the audience....
I thought the concert on Saturday was quite wonderful with the choir at its very best. I especially enjoyed the trumpet solo. Isabel Milner (Friend of the choir) I thought it was an excellent concert on many levels. The choir sang well, it was well attended and the audience, judging by those around me, were clearly excited and pleased to be there. I thought the Heart of England Orchestra played extremely well (especially the solo trumpeter when his moment came) and the vocal soloists were a joy both to watch and listen to - the soprano perhaps slightly heavy on embellishment. All the hard work that Richard had put in to training the choir and controlling everyone on the day showed through. Well done! Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, Alan Tudor (ex-DCU bass) Although I very much missed singing in the DCU performance of Handel's Messiah, it was a real delight to be a part of such a large audience for a stunning performance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and thought the general balance of the choir and the richness of the sound were excellent. Like Mike Wheeler, I had a few reservations about the soprano soloist, but I thought that all four were very good. An excellent concert. John Maxwell-Jones (DCU member "on sabbatical")	My wife & I enjoyed the performance and, we suspect, so did the choir. The soloists were very good and expressive, the musicians were excellent, well controlled by Richard Dacey. The trumpet soloist did well from the pulpit behind the bass (Jimmy Holliday). It was a well deserved Full House. David & Ann Capel (Friends of DCU) As usual, DCU’s Messiah was a real treat in every way. In particular, the quality of the soloists was outstanding. The only area for improvement would be a stronger tenor section in the choir. We left the concert feeling elated. Many thanks to all concerned. Hugh Plummer I have heard Handel's Messiah many times and I thought this was one of the best performances I have ever heard. All four soloists were brilliant as were the orchestra and the leader who played "How beautiful are the Feet" quite brilliantly and also the trumpeter who played "The trumpet shall sound" excellently. The only criticism I would make is it needs more bass and tenors in the choir. Ian Mills Thoroughly enjoyed the concert. A splendid Messiah, taking us through a whole gamut of emotions from the heights to the depths. Particularly enjoyed the male soloists. Margaret Statham (Friend of DCU)

Artists
Elizabeth Weisberg ~ soprano Wendy Dawn Thompson ~ mezzo-soprano Nathan Vale ~ tenor Jimmy Holliday ~ bass

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