Dr Rosemary Westwell reviews the Ely Consort choir’s performance of ‘Winter Songs’, from Saturday night (December 3) at Chatteris Parish Church.   

 

Ely Consort is undoubtedly one of the highest quality choirs in our area.

Under the directorship of Matthew Rudd, these fine singers proved their worth in a splendid concert to the packed church in the parish church of Chatteris last Saturday night.    

The sound was magnificent, the voices blending beautifully.

Matthew’s well-defined conducting helped create long sustained phrasing that was exquisitely sculptured.

We could hear the words clearly and we were given a good sense of the emotional content as vital phrases were emphasised and coloured to reflect the meaning and mood intended.

The variety of pace and rhythm was particularly well-handled and the definition clear.  

The choir was very ably accompanied by The Arco String Quartet: Kate Clow and Roz Chalmers (violins), Andrew Ware (viola), and Pippa Jones (cello) and on organ/piano was Anne Reece.   

The concert featured winter songs as well as ‘Magnificat’ by Francesco Durante and ‘Mass in B flat’ by Hummel.

On a clear cold night like that night, travelling though Chatteris and its amazing Christmas lights, sitting in a large warm church on comfortable chairs surrounded by sparking Christmas trees and decorations, it felt just right to have songs of the season.   

These included ‘O Wild West Wind’ and ‘the Snow’ by Edward Elgar, ‘The Music of Stillness’ by Elaine Hagenberg, ‘First Snow’ by Ola Gjeilo, ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ by Ēriks Ešenvalds and ‘Ring out, Wild Bells’ by Jonathan Dove.  

Highlights for me were Durante’s ‘Magnificat’, Hagenberg’s ‘The Music of Stillness’ and Ešenvalds ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’.

Durante’s ‘Magnificat’ opened the concert well, giving a clear indication that these were, indeed, excellent musicians who were well-rehearsed and astutely aware of how to work together to produce a transfixing effect.  

The expansive, well-balanced harmonies and moving words of ‘the Music of Stillness’ were especially appealing, while the sustained, well-fused multiple voice parts made ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’.

There were many exhilarating, challenging and striking effects in the other pieces, but it may have been the quiet, cool stillness of the evening that made these works appeal to me particularly.

They were, of course, performed with astute polish, heightened sensitivity and sustained beauty.   

The Quartet gave assured support and the balance of voices and accompaniment was particularly effective.

The Quartet really came to the fore in Edward Elgar’s ‘The Snow’ with delightful interplay between the violins.

Anne Reece showed her true virtuosic talent in the challenging ‘Ring out, Wild Bells’ by Jonathan Dove.  

This was indeed one of the most enjoyable concerts I have attended.   

  • Ely Consort’s next concert will be ‘Rutter – The Gift of Life’ on Saturday, March 18 in Ely Cathedral. Tickets will be available online in the new year at https://www.elycathedral.org/events