2010

An admittedly biased report on the concert of 5th June 2010 !

On reflection, I think it was probably the most near-perfect concert I've been involved in at any time in my musical career. There wasn't one work or piece in the programme that didn't have excellent musicianship and accuracy.

Tom Moore

2009

From the local press:

An eclectic birthday party for Felix

_____________________________________

ST PETER'S CONSORT

Happy Birthday, Herr Mendelssohn

Saturday, September 19th 2009

____________________________

I’m not sure the title of this concert was a particularly accurate reflection of its contents, as only three of 16 pieces performed were by the great composer to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.

 

It was in fact, the most eclectic of concerts where both sacred and secular compositions from both a classical and modern repertoire were interspersed, providing listening which varied from easy to challenging but which was never less than enjoyable.

 

The choir drew in the Wakefield Cathedral audience from the outset with the delicate tones of Tue es Petrus  and Sicut Cervus, two a capello motets by Palestrina, successfully conveying the ethereal qualities of this spiritual music. It produced beautiful harmonies in Mendelssohn’s Hear My Prayer  and showed its versatility in performing songs as diverse as The Blue Bird  by C V Stanford, Autumn Leaves by Alan Simmons and versions of Yesterday and Moon River  arranged by John Holt. 

 

Despite the imbalance of male to female members, the choir’s vocal range and depth were unimpaired, and whether in performing The Beauty of Holiness, a technically difficult piece with a huge dramatic climax, by Kenneth Leighton, or the wonderfully melodic Cantique de Jean Racine by Gabriel Faure, it did not falter.

High levels of individual talent within the choir were suitably showcased by Victoria Barraclough, Kay Yates, Michael Benn, and Adrian Stephenson.  However, it was two solo organ performances which I found to be the most captivating.  Dancing Toccata a short and sprightly piece by Christopher Steel, was played in scintillating fashion by Tom Moore, and the organ scholar Daniel Justin raised the roof with the vigour of his performance of Mendelssohn’s mighty and imposing Third Organ Sonata in A Major which he executed with consummate technical skill.  

Nevertheless, it was the choir under the able direction of Tom Moore which had the final word with that rousing song Let All The People Praise Thee, O God  by William Mathias, concluding this most rewarding concert which was long and loudly applauded by its appreciative audience.

Robert Cowan

 

_____________________________________

From the Yorkshire Post