A Handel on Liszt
by berberis on Mar.18, 2006, under Choir, Concerts, LCS, Rehearsals
Saturday, 18th March, 2006, St Paul’s Church, Deptford.
Handel: Zadok the Priest
Soprano solo: Handel – Eternal Source of Light Divine
Organ solo: Bach – Prelude in B minor BWV 544
Soprano solo: Handel – Let the Bright Seraphim
Handel: The King Shall Rejoice
Liszt: Missa Choralis
Soprano solo: Burgon – Nunc Dimittis
Britten: Rejoice in The LambSoprano: Caroline Lenton-Ward
Trumpet: David Clewlow
Organ: Andrew Dutson and Stefan Reid
Conductor: Stefan Reid
There were two new pieces here – Liszt’s Missa Choralis and Britten’s Rejoice In The Lamb. The Liszt starts out sounding a little derivative, but takes a lovely, ethereal turn at the Bendictus. This continues through the Agnus Dei, which contains some to-die-for suspensions that the altos (yes!) get to sing. There are some beautiful phrases in this. The other-worldly feel continues, more or less, to the end. Occasional solos – which are normally done by a semi-chorus in a choral society – punctuate this piece. It’s a little gem.
The Britten is weird. ‘For I will consider my cat, Jeoffrey.’ Eh? Words by a man with mental health issues, music by a near genius. The divide is imperceptible. Some of the Lamb is embarassing (‘For the Mouse is a creature of geat personal valour’ – really?), and some is nonsense (‘For the cymbal rhimes are bell well toll soul and the like’ – um… no.).
However, some is intensely wonderful, and it’s worth the silliness to get there. The slow build from ‘For I am under the same accusations…’ to ‘For Silly fellow…’ definitely has the the tingle factor. From figure 30, you need supreme breath control and more than a weather eye on the conductor, but it’s very rewarding.
