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Winchester Cathedral Saturday 12 July 2007 by Derek Beck
A brilliantly chosen and superbly executed programme inaugurated the 2007 Winchester Festivalin grand style. Two of the greatest twentieth century British works made a fitting fanfare to the week long celebration of the arts, especially when a capacity Cathedral audience was treated to battalions of brass for Holst's Planets Suite and Walton's Belshazzar's Feast.
A massively augmented Southern Sinfonia was present and this youthful band again displayed its versatility in the virtuoso demands of the Holst. Power and delicacy existed in equal proportions, well demonstrated in the warlike opening (Mars) and the ethereal conclusion (Neptune). The latter featured women's voices in up to seven parts and a supremely confident section of the WaynfleteSingers processed out of sight and away to the easternmost point of the Cathedral to maximise the drama. Rich orchestral tone and beautiful woodwind tuning were other highlights of this item and conductor Andrew Lumsden is to be congratulated on presiding over such a rhythmically coherent performance in these reverberant surroundings.
Jazz-like rhythms pervade Belshazzar's Feast and the security of the orchestra was here matchedby magnificently taut delivery from the complete Waynflete Singers. Inevitably the great tutti climaxes, including the final Alleluias over huge pedal points, favoured the brass and percussionwith bass drum and timpani clouding the upper registers. However, every unaccompanied choral passage was thrilling in its rhythmic precision and harmonic clarity. Considering the distance separating conductor and singers this was an impressive choral effort revealing thorough preparation. Here was a work normally tackled by symphonic choruses twice the size of the WaynfleteSingers who should be proud of this achievement. They were supported by James Rutherford's grandiose baritone offering sinister narrations from the pulpit.
Winchester is fortunate to have its own Festival and doubly fortunate in having local musicians capable of mounting such an exacting opening event with such fervour and professionalism.
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This page updated 30 July 2007
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