Musicweb International (with kind permission)

The St. George's Singers have been in existence for fifty years and judging by this performance their tradition and professionalism could easily allow their popularity to stretch for another fifty. Based in Poynton near Hazel Grove, Cheshire, a fertile area that rises up to Lyme Hall and the Pennines beyond, they regularly provide a tight annual programme that has taken them touring on the continent. Under their new conductor, Neil Taylor, the quality of singing by over 100 voices is very fine and on a par with the Hallé Choir. This fact was particularly true for this vibrant performance.

Declared a masterpiece, Haydn's 'The Creation' has always been popular since the composer's creative energy combines music as an art form with music in a form that conveys romantic expression. It was Haydn's aim to transcend his audience’s earthly emotions to a higher spiritual plain with an experience heaven-sent. Haydn's inventiveness with orchestral texture and effects were revolutionary at the time and apparently, in an outstanding concert performance of 1801, lost none of the charm when played by only nine musicians. This performance used Novello's new edition of the work, which improves on its original and imperfect German translation. The 40 strong Manchester Camerata (leader Martin Clark) did full justice to the score under Neil Taylor's baton. The orchestra's configuration was of double woodwind (3 flutes in fact), double horn, trumpet and trombone and usual complement of strings. A harpsichord continuo led the narratives.

Leading the choir were a fine pedigree of confident soloists: Rachel Nicholls, Richard Edgar-Wilson and Matthew Brook. Rachel Nicholls is a confident singer with powerful voice (and mezzo undertones to her soprano) whose fine breath control successfully fills out wide phrasing. Her aria, With verdure clad was well paced, and the Mozartian Most beautiful appear was utterly delightful.

In the second part, I felt her voice rather strong in the trio, On thee each living soul awaits as it tended to mask the others. Richard Edgar-Wilson is a light tenor with good clarity and has good focus and pace. His aria, In native worth and honour clad was particularly well sung and held the audience's attention. Of these soloists, the one that brought colour as well as delicate humour to the oratorio was Matthew Brook, a velvety resonant bass. He is given the monotonous task of carrying most of the narration, yet he did so with such good dynamics (from pp to ff) that attention on him was accentuated. With good diction, he injected good amusement to Straight opening her fertile womb where a description of 'ble-e-ating sheep and hosts of insects' heightened enjoyment of the performance for everyone concerned. His aria, Now heaven in fullest glory shone, preceded by a charming tone-poem pastorale was delightful. Here was a memorable moment with its catchy flute melody and strong rhythm. As found in other parts of the oratorio, Haydn sometimes sets up a dialogue with a delicate wind melody line echoed by the strings that is quite engaging. The duet for Adam and Eve (Graceful consort) was magnificently delivered in the lighter setting Haydn devised to represent these innocent characters.

In the vocal score the editor has marked a speed of 108 for a quaver and the Introduction sounded slow and laboured if this speed was adhered to. However, the confidence of the orchestra built up admirably after the opening 25 bars of Representation of Chaos. Throughout the whole oratorio, Neil Taylor sustained good control of both orchestral and vocal forces, and managed to provide some fine moments in the finales of both parts. The choir was well-rehearsed and strong in voice (as one might imagine 100 voices might be). It brought added depth to the piece and delivered wide-ranging dynamics with a nice balance preserved in pianissimo sections. The tenors, although not altogether swamped, might have benefited from added strength of numbers in forte passages, perhaps.

This performance at the Royal Northern College of Music was well attended, and deservedly so as an appreciative audience demonstrated.

Raymond J Walker

Extracts from a review of New Year Concerts in the Manchester Evening News

...The most expensive concert of the year-end (probably most expensive of the whole year) was the Camerata's New Year's Eve 'Night at the Grand Opera'.

An augmented orchestra here invites two soloists, St George's Singers as the precise and responsive chorus and a presenter to join it, and Stephanie Hughes is (thank goodness) one to do the introductions who knows her stuff and can pronounce the Italian properly. ...

Stuart Stratford chose to end New Year's Eve (except for the Brindisi from La Traviata, the inevitable encore to include all forces) with the finale of Bernstein's Candide, a relative rarity which demonstrated the quality of St George's Singers' a capella sound in its introduction. ...

Robert Beale

(The full review can be read here)

The Wilmslow Express

Night at the opera is the perfect new year treat

There can be no more perfect way to bring the old year to a close than enjoying a night at the grand opera - courtesy of Manchester Camerata at the Bridgewater Hall.

A delightful programme, introduced by BBC Radio Three presenter Stephanie Hughes, transported the audience through some of the most familiar and most stirring offerings from the maestros of opera such as Verdi, Bizet and Puccini.

Conducted by Stuart Stratford, the musicians of Manchester Camerata were in sparkling form.

They were joined on stage by soprano Linda Richardson, a last minute replacement for Alison Roddy who was indisposed. She stepped into the role with great aplomb - especially with her sparkling performance of the Puccini aria Quando m'en vo from La Bohème. She was perfect as the vivacious, flirtatious Musetta.

Tenor Wynne Davies, who is a principal with Welsh National Opera, proved himself to be a singer with great passion as well as a wonderful voice. He brought a tear to the eye with his solo numbers, especially the Flower Song from Carmen and Her Tiny Hand is Frozen from La Bohème.

But this was an evening about the whole opera experience and it would not have been complete without some famous grand opera chorus numbers, sung superbly by our own locally based St George's Singers from Poynton.

This marvellous choir has gone from strength to strength since its formation in 1956 and it regularly shares the stage with musical luminaries including, at two recent but very different events, Sir Willard White and Jacqui Dankworth.

On this occasion they put heart and soul into the famous Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco, the Anvil Chorus from Il Trovatore and the hauntingly beautiful Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly.

This New Year's Eve concert has become justly popular with audiences over the several years since it first started and what a treat it is to end the year with such a feast of music - and still have plenty of time to crack open the champagne for the coming year. Bravo!

Jackie Doran

‘Blue Light’, the Newsletter of the Duke Ellington Society (UK) (with kind permission)

The first news that Manchester Jazz Society had of this performance came from one of our members, Kath Whale. Being a retired medic., she had her finger on the pulse. Then our secretary Peter Caswell sprang into action, contacted the website, and we were soon in possession of a great wad of elegantly designed flyers which members took away to pass around to the enlightened. We were excited by the names of Ellington and Jacqui Dankworth, but of the St George's Singers and the Big Buzzard Boogie Band we knew nothing. The number of tickets to be sold was 800. They didn't expect to sell out, so it was 'turn up on the night and pay at the door'. As a retired jazz promoter I know that feeling!

The evening of the performance was warm and balmy, the end of a hot summer's day. We joined the crowds of people heading for the Cathedral - ticket numbers 762-3 - phew! We only just got in!

Time to scan the programme. The St George's Singers have 50 years of performing works from Bach and Britten to Flanders and Swann under their belt. The concert, a climax to their jubilee season, was the Manchester première of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert. It was also the last performance under the baton of their Director for the last ten years, Stephen Williams. They are based at St George's Church, Poynton, Cheshire, where they rehearse each week.

The Big Buzzard Boogie Band is the brainchild of Andy Williamson, a man with an amalgam of musical experience who has settled presently for an elastic-sided jive band format, depending on the gig. They are based in the south of England and you may well run them to earth in London's 100 Club. Jacqui Dankworth needs little introduction - daughter of famous parents, actress and singer in many facets of music.

This version of the Sacred Concert has become part of the repertoire of the BBBB. They have performed it at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and also for some BBC broadcasts. The score is known as the Høybe/Pederson version. After Ellington's death it became usual for presenters to select pieces from the three Concerts, depending on the circumstances, musicians and singers available. I quote from the programme notes:-

'In 1993 John Høybe was asked to lead a large international workshop on Ellington's Sacred Concerts. As no score was available, he decided to arrange the music along with Peder Pederson and to have a complete score including orchestral parts and choral arrangements published. In the original version the choir mostly sang in unison and had a somewhat minor role, partly because the touring composer had a very limited time to rehearse with the successive local choirs. Furthermore, Ellington was not nearly as familiar with the choir as he was with the orchestra. In the Høybe/Pederson version of the score, which St George's Singers are using tonight, the choir and the band are equals - perhaps even with a slight emphasis on the choir. As the new version consists of material from all three concerts, it is simply called The Sacred Concert.'

The concert begins and Andy Williamson leads the 11-piece Big Buzzard Boogie Band out. Unhappily cathedrals are usually fine for listening but not often for seeing, due to pillars, etc. We could see that the leader was wearing a hat, for which he apologized to the Lord and to those assembled, explaining that it was necessary to keep his great unruly mop of hair in order. They kicked in with The Preacher, then One O’Clock Jump, Stompin’ At The Savoy, all good old good ones suitable for a mixed audience of jazzers and non-jazzers. After Mambo Mintz, Jumpin’ At The Woodside and Over The Rainbow the band was augmented by musicians associated with the Royal Northern College of Music, including the director of their Big Band, Mike Hall, on tenor. At this point Jacqui came on with her trio led by pianist Zoe Rahman. Using an arrangement by her father, she sang If I Were a Bell from Guys and Dolls, and then Teach Me Tonight. Next, with just the trio, came But Beautiful and finally with the band, September In The Rain. To finish up the set, the BBBB had us not jiving in the aisles but jigging in the pews to a spot of Louis Jordan. A happy and satisfying set; Jacqui has a lovely voice and there are nuances of her mother - or maybe it’s my imagination?

Now to the second half and the serious business of the evening. With the choir already in situ their conductor Stephen Williams was warmly welcomed. They began with Praise God and the impact of their voices in the fine acoustics of the building was simply stunning. As I listened the words that came to mind were ‘coffee and cream’. I was transfixed. Next came Heaven, featuring Jacqui with very much her own voicing, and beautiful it was too. Then Freedom Suite with the choir and some terrific solos from the musicians, Zoe Rahman on piano and I think (I couldn’t see!) Nick Yates trumpet and a tenor who was hidden behind a pillar. Also included were The Majesty of God (Jacqui, choir and band) Come Sunday and David Danced Before The Lord… (all), Almighty God (choir), My Love (Jacqui) and Praise God And Dance. The reception was rapturous and deservedly so. I reflected that, as this was the choir’s last performance with Stephen Williams, it had been the most wonderful parting gift he could have wished for. With the band and Jacqui they made a most ‘joyful noise unto the Lord’ which would have warmed Duke Ellington’s heart.

Eunice Malloch

Manchester Evening News

The highlight of an exciting jubilee season for St George's Singers, Poynton, last night's performance of Bach's St Matthew Passion, conducted by Stephen Williams, was also a musical triumph and a profound experience for listeners in the packed Bridgewater Hall.

The line-up included James Gilchrist, as the Evangelist, who is in demand over the world for such roles - to hear his tone, diction, sense of drama and emotion is to know why. Christopher Purves brought nobility and humanity to the role of Jesus, which I found very moving. Joanne Lunn and Alexandra Gibson, as the chief female soloists in a line-up, hardly to be faulted, contributed purity of tone.

The whole presentation, in English, was designed to communicate, and the musical resources provided by the Manchester Camerata and choristers of Manchester Cathedral Choir combined with the confident and awesomely versatile chorus to deliver it. It will surely be remembered as one of the greatest achievements of a remarkable 50 years.

Robert Beale

Musicweb International (with kind permission)

The St. George’'s Singers were founded in 1956 and take their name from the founding church in Poynton, a large village about fifteen miles to the south of Manchester. The choir rehearse in the same church each Tuesday under the direction of Stephen Williams, their Musical Director who took over eight years ago, and by 1958 they had grown sufficiently to perform Bach'’s St. John Passion. They tour every year with recent destinations including Krakow, Helsinki and Tallinn.

In the best tradition of North of England amateur choirs the members, now numbering around one hundred and twenty, have to raise the money for their tours and for the likes of the Sunday night concert under review. The result of that commitment and effort is that the choir now stands alongside the Hallé Choir as the North West'’s leading ensemble. However, whereas the Hallé performs with its orchestra, who fund the soloists, St George’'s has to provide both for its major performances. It is a measure of their reputation that in November 2004 the soloists in Mendelssohn'’s Elijah were Sir Willard White, Mark Padmore, Sarah Fulgoni and Mary Plazas. Since it was Mendelssohn who did so much to revive Bach’'s St. Matthew Passion (composed during Bach'’s tenure as Kantor in Leipzig where he wrote the work for double choir and presented it on Good Friday 1727 in the Thomaskirche) it was good to see the Bridgewater Hall full once again for the significantly harder work.

The St. Matthew Passion is scored for two choirs and two orchestras. At the original performances, lofts on opposite sides of the church allowed the choristers to face each other. This was not attempted in the Bridgewater Hall, the one hundred and ten choir sat in rows, men behind the women and not quite matching them in number. The Evangelist, sung by the renowned specialist James Gilchrist was seated behind the orchestra, next to the first keyboard. Christ, sung by Christopher Purves, sat at the front next to the conductor’'s podium. The other soloists walked from a side position to make their contributions before returning to their seats. The only drawback of this arrangement was the sound of shoes of the walking soloists.

The work is long at over two and a half hours and in the original performances in the Lutheran Church, the two halves would have been divided by a sermon. Here the audience had a comfort break, an appropriate intermission separating the distinctly different moods of the work's two halves. In Part One the mood is softer with the orchestra having melody and solo items to feast on. Part Two, describing the trial and crucifixion of Christ, is much more dramatic and the dramatic impact of the music was enhanced by the lowering of the lights at Jesus'’ point of death in this performance.

As Christus, Christopher Purves, who also sings a fair amount of opera, took a little time to find his legato but once having done so, he sang with musicality and a wide range of expression. Of particular note was his soft singing in Go to such a man in the city. As the Evangelist, James Gilchrist carries the greatest vocal burden and his clarity, again after a little settling, was marked by vocal dynamism and range going to a heady top note at the end of And immediately the cock crew. Joanne Lunn sang the soprano part: the high tessitura does not allow for ideal clarity of words nor does a vibrato-less voice lend for expression. None the less, tall and imposing, she was able to inflect her words with meaning. The same was true of Alexandra Gibson, nominally a contralto but with a timbre somewhat higher. The two ladies sang in perfect unison in Behold my saviour now is taken as they alternated with the chorus. Andrew Foster-Williams with his lean bass was distinguished in The saviour, low before His Father bending, his timbre being distinctly different from the appropriately sonorous and steady bass tone of Dean Robinson as Pilate. This essential difference of timbre in the same vocal register was also to be heard in the young tenor Robert Murray's singing which contrasted nicely with James Gilchrist's Evangelist. Murray is a Covent Garden Young Artist who sings with elegant phrasing and he should have a good future in both fields of opera and oratorio. The other solo parts in this performance were adequately taken by members of the choir.

Vital though the quality of the soloists may be, it is the quality of the choir's contribution that makes, or otherwise, a performance of this particular rendering of the Passion story. I am particularly pleased to report that the standards I admired so much in the performance of Elijah were fully maintained. The sonority of the singing was impressive as was the clarity of diction. Every word was clearly enunciated and could be followed without the aid of the programme print. Most important though, was the group's ability to convey the accuracy of Bach’'s writing in Part Two where Bach's demands for dramatic inflection and bite are quickly followed by contrasting soft singing and fine legato. Such performing quality comes only as a consequence of proper preparation and plenty of rehearsal under Stephen Williams' leadership. His conducting was well paced and drew excellent playing from the Manchester Camerata and the various orchestra soloists in their individual contributions.

There are few opportunities to hear this seminal work and Manchester was privileged to hear such a fine rendering. All concerned can be justifiably proud of the achievement and I was particularly pleased to see Mancunians giving the work and the St George’'s Singers their full support at the box office.

Robert J. Farr

Manchester Evening News

St George's Singers of Poynton staked a weighty claim as the most enterprising choral society in the north west with last night's Elijah at the BWH.

A starry line up of soloists joined them under Stephen Williams' direction. Sir Willard White, in the title role, gave it that declamatory passion which is his trademark and fits the role of the righteous prophet ideally. Mark Padmore, tenor, is if anything more sought after, for his peerless diction and purity of tone, in sacred music.

Mary Plazas, soprano, and Sara Fulgoni, contralto, brought their classy operatic skills - the latter relishing her episode as Jezebel even a little more than angelic purity. But it was the superbly drilled massed voices of the chorus which made the performance. Manchester Camerata provided (with limited string numbers) an acceptable accompaniment, not always quite in sync with the voices, and Darius Battiwalla's rendering of the organ part made a rich and, on occasion, stunning contribution.