- Review of St John Passion, performed 29th March 2025
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Date Posted: Thu, 10 Apr 2025
ST JOHN PASSION
Performance by Stratford Choral Society at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford
29th March 2025
Review by Christopher Morley:
Whereas Bach’s St Matthew Passion takes its time, reflecting upon the events of the Crucifixion, his St John Passion hustles us straight into the terrible drama, tight and concise as it involves us in the narrative, and Saturday’s performance from the Stratford Choral Society responded tautly and expressively.
The orchestral opening, splendidly delivered by the period-performance Instruments of Time and Truth, whispered with gripping urgency, its tread leading forward to the powerful choral entry. Many multiples larger than Bach’s own choral forces in Leipzig, the SCS nevertheless sang with commendable lightness and balance under the gently authoritative conducting of Oliver Neal Parker
This choral input of a very high standard was maintained throughout the evening, with the many chorales, originally reaching out to the Lutheran congregation, particularly effective (incidentally, John Bawden’s detailed programme-note gave an admirable account of the work’s context).
Pivotal in any presentation of the Passion is the role of the Evangelist, traditionally a tenor, and here Nathan Vale was outstanding, engaged and engaging, and colourfully delivering Bach’s word-painting such as “bitterly”, “scourged” and “crucified”. Against this vivid narrative Alexander Ashworth was an imposing Christus, singing with quiet dignity and an almost otherworldly serenity. The other four vocal soloists made efficient contributions.
We have to congratulate SCS on securing this wonderful orchestra. Always alert to this adept conductor and to each other, they delivered some wonderful cameos, including duetting oboes of differing timbres, pastel flutes, viola d’amore and viola da gamba, and a deliciously gorgeous plucked solo accompaniment to “Come ponder, O my soul”.
There were riches galore enjoyed by the packed audience, but one final offer of food for thought. Jesus’ last concern was for his mother; today we all woke (if minus an hour’s sleep) to Mothering Sunday.
- Review of The Messiah, December 2024
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Date Posted: Sun, 22 Dec 2024
This review was published in the Stratford Herald newsaper on 19th December 2024
- Review of the Petite Messe Solennelle
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Date Posted: Fri, 22 Nov 2024
This review of our performance of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle was published in the Stratford Herald newspaper on November 21st 2024
- Summer Singing 2024 - Shakespeare in Song
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Date Posted: Sat, 29 Jun 2024
- Mozart Requiem, 23rd March 2024
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Date Posted: Thu, 28 Mar 2024
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- Review of Prelude to Christmas, December 2023
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Date Posted: Sun, 7 Jan 2024
- Review - Rutter Gloria
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Date Posted: Tue, 6 Jun 2023
- Review - Handel's Messiah
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Date Posted: Fri, 4 Nov 2022Stratford Choral Society Concert
Handel’s Messiah
Holy Trinity Church
17.12.22
Review by Alex Austin
Handel’s great masterpiece is the most popular of choral works and rightly so as well demonstrated by this superb performance which clearly revealed it as a work of sheer musical genius. It has marvellous melodic content, vast emotional range, brilliant expressiveness and powerful drama. The choral society have performed the work regularly over the years and that familiarity showed with a firm grasp of the music. They were perfectly accompanied by four outstanding young soloists and the Regency Sinfonia. It was brilliantly conducted by Oliver Neal Parker who moved the work along at exactly the right tempo, carrying the narrative forward with originality and freshness. It was a marvellous story marvellously well told.
From the opening bars of the overture you knew you were in safe hands with the totally assured playing of the Sinfonia which lasted throughout. The tenor Matthew Keighley began the story with a ‘Comfort ye’ which was indeed truly comforting. His unusual warm and mellow tone was employed to great effect in an original and convincing performance. His recitative ‘Thy rebuke hath broken his heart’ was extraordinarily beautiful and moving, as was almost everything he sang. The opening chorus ‘And the glory of the Lord’ was sung with glorious lightness and rhythmical bounce. The magnificent bass, Eugene Dillon-Hooper, boomed in with a scary ‘Thus saith the Lord’, his voice powerfully dramatic for one so young with exceptional volume and declamatory skill. His ‘Why do the nation’s’ was thrilling and the great bass show-piece. The trumpet shall sound was utterly magnificent and the trumpet playing brilliant. You won’t hear the piece done better.
Elizabeth Irvine , the alto was another virtuoso singer adorning her pieces with some spectacular runs and ornamentations all done with supreme confidence. Her intense ‘He was despised’ was heart-rending. The stunning quartet of soloists was completed by soprano Fleur Moore-Bridger, a real star who gave a dazzling performance, using her exquisite silver voice to beautiful effect. Her top noted rang out spectacularly powerful and pitch-perfect no more so than in ‘I know that my redeemer liveth’, particularly at ‘now is Christ risen’ and there were some fine contrasts in her singing. Her voice was well suited to the lovely ‘How beautiful are the feet’ in a really lovely warm and tender rendition. All of the soloists’ set-pieces were all sung superbly and in the whole concert there were really too many choral highlights to single out. I’ll just mention the serenely pure entry of the sopranos in ‘And he shall purify’ and the profoundly moving ‘’the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all’. Their magnificent and overwhelming Hallelujah chorus was attacked with spine-tingling zeal. The thunderous ovation which this fine five-star performance produced was thoroughly well-deserved and the whole concert was a powerful reminder of the wonder of God becoming human and the fullness of life which Christ’s birth brought, which is at the heart of the real meaning of Christmas and the heart of this wonderful work.
Alex Austin
- Concert review - March 2022
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Date Posted: Mon, 15 Aug 2022
