Soloists: (members of the Nottingham Bach Choir) Susannah Hale (Soprano), Tim Bacon (Alto), David Tranter (Tenor), Stephen Cooper (Bass)
The Te Deum allowed the singers, under their conductor Paul Hale, to demonstrate their excellent balance and tight ensembl
Review by William Ruff for Nottingham Evening Post
THE Bach Choir’s programme was well-chosen for a summer Saturday. Not too much knotty complexity – but plenty of light-textured music thoughtfully split between the concert’s two halves with choral music interspersed with solo organ works.
There was certainly plenty of passion in their programme as well as sensitive musicianship. The Te Deum allowed the singers, under their conductor Paul Hale, to demonstrate their excellent balance and tight ensemble. Bach’s motet Jesu, meine Freude, was similarly successful whilst offering much greater musical complexity. The accomplished soloists (Susannah Hale, Tim Bacon, David Tranter and Stephen Cooper) were all drawn from the choir’s ranks.
In an unusual move extra singers had been invited to join the choir for Schubert’s Mass in G. The 35 who accepted not only increased the weight of sound but also clearly delighted in the Mass’s joyful tunefulness. In a break with tradition the Gloria was performed last, giving a notably bright and confident ending to this youthfully exuberant work.
Mendelssohn’s Prelude and Fugue in G and Bach’s Fantasia in G were performed with distinction by organist Roger Bryan on an instrument whose brightness and transparency suited them very well.