In tune with the
forthcoming London Olympics, Valentine Singers presented a programme of
British works by Vaughan Williams, Finzi and Blackford last Saturday
evening. The Singers were joined by the
Jericho Ensemble and soloists Elizabeth Menezes (soprano) and John Llewelyn
Evans (baritone).
Gerald Finzi’s Dies Natalis is a cantata for string
orchestra and tenor or soprano soloist, and was not performed at the Three
Choirs Festival until 1946 having been delayed by the outbreak of the Second
World War. The delightful Elizabeth Menezes and the Jericho Ensemble provided
the rich textures and long melodic lines for a very satisfying, lyrical
performance of this evocative work.
The Vaughan
Williams Five Mystical Songs - a collection of George Herbert texts - range
from the melodic to the uplifting. John
Llewelyn Evans gave a fine performance, particularly in Love bade me welcome, and Valentine Singers were equally
excellent whether accompanying the soloist in the final bars of I got me flowers or in the rousing final
movement, Let all the world in every
corner sing.
Richard
Blackford’s Mirror of Perfection was
written in the mid-1990s, his inspiration being the poetry of Saint Francis of
Assisi. This work brought the Singers, both soloists and an augmented Jericho
Ensemble together for settings of seven canticles. From Canticle
of the Furnace with its complex rhythmic patterns and angular lines from
the string players to the calm and melodic final movement Canticle of Peace, the composer is urging the listener to confront
our “age of spiritual emptiness and cultural decline”.
Directed by the
excellent Christine Gwynn, Valentine Singers never fail to give the
audience total commitment and a very professional performance. It is worth
noting that they are offering three opportunities for you to join with them to
discover (or rekindle) your love of singing at Choral Taster Workshops on the 6th,
13th and 20th of July – phone 020 8504 1261 for details.
John Buckmaster
