Reviews

Saturday 20th March, 2010
'“An Evening of Opera”
Knaresborough Choral Society - Holy Trinity Church

AFTER the recent TV series Pop Star to Opera Star, opera has gained another burst of popularity. However it has always been a passion of mine so I went along with eager anticipation.
The choir was accompanied by Pamela Jolly on the piano, but Martin Binks accompanied the soloists, three of whom were familiar to us.
These were Heather Jane Taylor, soprano, Colin Reed, tenor and David Bainbridge bass, whose resonant voice fills the church.
These old hands were joined by Joanna Gamble, alto who had a very rich and melodic voice. I hope we see and hear her again at future Choral Society concerts.
The evening consisted of a series of items, choral, solo, duet and trio. I was particularly impressed with Joanna Gamble and David Bainbridge who performed, mostly, without a score in their hands and acted the part superbly.
The programme was a little disappointing, with the choir only having six items out of 16 in the first half and seven in the second half. I would certainly like to have heard more of the choir and there are many rousing opera choruses to choose from.
The solo programme was very varied and my have contained too many rather obscure items for the general palate, however that is just my opinion.
You certainly can’t please everyone with every item in a concert.
For my money, the best choral item was the Voyagers’ Chorus from Mozart’s Indomeneo which was sung with great feeling and balance.
Their next concert ‘Midsummer Dreams’ will be held on Saturday, June 19th in Knaresborough United Reformed Church.
This will be a lighter selection of music for a summer evening, and if it is anything like the similar concert they gave last year it will be well worth attending.
David C. Ayre

Saturday 12th December, 2009
'Concert spans most of creative life of Haydn'
Haydn concert, Knaresborough Choral Society (with members of Leeds Symphony Orchestra) - Holy Trinity Church
THE concert in Holy Trinity Church, Knaresborough offered a programme of music that spanned the greater part of the creative life of the composer Haydn, the bi-centenary of whose death is commemorated this year.

The Mass, with its jubilant movements, notably the Gloria, contrasting with the more reflective and poignant Kyrie and Benedictus made a welcome start to the evening.

The balance between orchestral and choral forces was better on this than on former occasions mainly due to the lighter scoring and the disposition to one side of brass and timpani.

There were, however some very moving quieter sections, for instance in the ‘Et incarnatus’ from the Creed to name but one..

The soloists, of course made a very significant contribution to the performance. Heather Jane Taylor’s strong Soprano lead was particularly notable as was Sally Daley’s beautiful rendition of the solo in the Agnus Dei. David Bainbridge did full justice to his allotted sections in his higher register but lacked the power and timbre in the lower range that Haydn’s writing demands.

After the interval followed the 1771 setting of the Salve Regina, the antiphon to Our Lady that has traditionally been sung at the Office of Compline from the fourteenth century to the present day. We do know that Haydn was very devout and there is no doubt in my mind that this, the longest of his three settings of the words needed a good deal of fervour preferably of a Catholic nature to sustain its performance. It must be admitted, however, that at this juncture in the Concert, it would have been difficult to muster any sort of fervour because of the rapidly decreasing temperature.

The concert, attended by a respectably sized audience concluded with a resolutely defiant and resounding “Non confundar in Aeternam” – “Let me never be confounded!”

Richard Darke

Saturday 20th June, 2009
“A full house and wonderful team spirit”
Music for a Summer’s Evening concert, Knaresborough Choral Society Gracious Street Methodist Church
NEW venue, new format, different conductor. What an enjoyable evening this was, and it was enjoyed by a full house at the Gracious Street Methodist Church.
It was a more relaxed informal concert, with the choir ably accompanied by Brian Hoare at the piano.
The acoustic was not quite as good as that of Holy Trinity Church, but this was made up for by the clarity of the performance and volume of the accompaniment, which was just right. The choir also sang several of the songs unaccompanied and held the pitch perfectly throughout.
The programme was very varied, from sacred to secular, serious to humorous.
There were three soloists, all members of the choir, which I think is a very good thing. Neil Robinson sang an amusing ‘Geordie’ song, ‘PotPies and Puddens’ by Robson, as well as the solo in the haunting ‘Rose’. Catherine Ostler sang ‘Come Holy Ghost’ by Attwood, and Carmel Wake sang ‘Oh Take Those Lips Away’ by Dring and the contrasting solo in ‘Can’t Help Loving That Man’ with backing from the choir.
The conductor was Gordon Smith, and it was a pleasure to see, for once, the eyes of the whole choir upon him watching for every nuance, dynamic or dramatic pause, which they carried out to perfection. There seemed to be a wonderful team spirit between them all.
This is a format I would like to see more of.
David C. Ayre

December 11 2004 'Choral Society pulls off triumphant performance' Judas Maccabaeus by George Frideric Handel
Knaresborough Choral Society with members of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra Conducted by Martin Binks HOLY Trinity Church, Knaresborough, was the place to be on Saturday evening, December 11, when Knaresborough Choral Society presented Handel's Judas Maccabaeus with the able assistance of members of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra and soloists, Diane Peacock, soprano, Sally Daley, mezzo soprano, Graham Webber, tenor, and the rich bass voice of David Bainbridge.
The acoustics of Holy Trinity are excellent for this type of performance and the very solid sound produced by the chorus more than complemented the orchestra. There is always a danger of the orchestra swamping the singers, but in this case it did not happen, even when the trumpets joined the ensemble for 'Sound an Alarm' in part two. This was, in part, due to the excellent conducting of Martin Binks.
The continuo for the solo parts was beautifully supplied by Jonathan Newcombe on the electronic organ and harpsichord with the assistance of Tina Thrippleton on the cello. The highlights, to my mind, were the choruses of which Handel was a master, especially the triumphant choruses such as the well known 'See, The Conquering Hero Comes'. This started with a trio of three of the Choral Society's, own members, Carniel Wake, Sue Hale and Christine Willoughby, who made a very pleasing sound. And when the full chorus joined them the effect was magnificent.
I have always found Handel's music most tuneful and dramatic with rich harmonies in the choruses and masses of decoration in the solo parts. I'm sure Handel couldn't have been a singer or he would have known that they need the chance to take breath occasionally.
The part of Simon, brother of Judas, was sung beautifully by David Bainbridge, while the part of Judas Maccabaeus was sung by Graham Webber.
The two ladies sang the parts of various Israelitish men and women as well as several delightful duets. Sally Daley opened part three as the priest, singing the beautiful 'Father of Heaven' in her silky alto voice.
Although the programme was quite long and the seats quite hard, the time seemed to fly by as this excellent performance was enjoyed by all.
David C Ayre
Schubert Concert March 13th 2004
Knaresborough Choral Society.
IF YOU enjoy a good melody and like rich interesting harmony, you should have been at Holy Trinity Church, Knaresborough, on Saturday evening for the Schubert Concert by Knaresborough Choral Society, though you might have found it difficult to find a seat as the house was packed. The Choral Society was joined, for the event, by the Leeds Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of David Salinger, and four soloists; Denise Blackburn - soprano, Colleen Brown - Contralto, Robert Wade - tenor and David Bainbridge - Bass, and what a rich bass voice he had. The conductor was Martin Binks.
The first part of the concert was the glorious Mass in A flat which Schubert wrote when he was 25 years old. The work has a very 'romantic and lyrical atmosphere especially in the quieter parts. Some of the louder passages, particularly in the Gloria, were marred slightly by the over enthusiasm of the brass section which at times drowned out everyone else.
But on the whole, the balance was remarkably good considering that there were over twice as many ladies in the chorus as men. However, due to their positioning and the acoustics of the hall, the men more than held their own and it was very pleasing to hear a strong bass line coming through to support the rich harmonic structure of the music.
I particularly enjoyed the Credo which was beautifully executed by both singers and orchestra. In the second half, the soloists each performed two of Schubert's songs accompanied by Martin Binks at the piano. These were all well known and varied to suit the individual voices. Robert Wade sang 'Who is Sylvia' and 'Ave Maria' while Denise Blackburn sang the well known 'Trout' and the haunting 'Night and Dreams'.
David Bainbridge sang 'To Music' and 'Serenade' while Colleen Brown sang 'The Erl King' twice, once with piano accompaniment and secondly accompanied by the orchestra with an orchestration by Berlioz. For my money, the piano accompaniment gave better effect to the drama of the piece. The orchestra then played two pieces of incidental music that Schubert wrote for the play 'Rosemunde'. The first was the Ballet Music 1 and 11 and the other was the Entr'acte Music No. 2 which was probably better known.
Finally, Soloists, chorus and orchestra combined to perform the 'Magnificat' which Schubert wrote when he was only nineteen years old.
The middle, of the three sections, using only the soloists along with the strings and oboes, was beautiful as the sound balance matched the hall's acoustics very well. The chorus joined the full orchestra for the final section along with bassoons, trumpets and timpani which rather drowned them out in places.
All in all it was a very enjoyable evening.
David C Ayre

Angelic voices move audienceKnaresborough Choral Society
The Childhood of Christ by Berlioz
There was a remarkable appropriateness about the performance of L’ Enfance du Christ by Berlioz in Holy Trinity Church On November 29.
Not only was it the eve of Advent, and part of the Berlioz bicentenary celebrations (born December 11, 1803), but - as the conductor, Martin Binks Pointed out - the work was first performed (1854) at the time when this fine Victorian church was being built.
The hard-working singers of the Knaresborough Choral Society, were in good voice, blending well with four top soloists - Ione Cumming, Paul Dutton, Kevin Ormond and David Bainbridge. David was especially impressive as King Herod - clear and commanding, yet dignified.
At one point it looked more like Haydn's 'Farewell’ Symphony as the whole choir appeared to walk out - only to reassemble, with the women moving as far away as possible, near the altar. This was what Berlioz had directed, in order to give the effect of angelic voices They surely were, in spite of a start that was not absolutely together.
The audience all recognised and enjoyed the delightful Shepherd's Farewell, taken a little faster than we usually hear it. The rest was quite new to most people but - as usual with Berlioz - a masterpiece of Orchestration full of rich colour. Players from Martin's Leeds Symphony Orchestra provided the quality contribution we have come to expect - particularly the cellos, double bass and wood. wind.
Excellent though the orchestra was, however, the highlight which moved the audience most, was the final unaccompanied chorus, exquisitely sung. Even the agnostic Berlioz admitted that this chorus had about it ‘a feeling of the infinite’.
This Performance, under the energetic direction of Martin Binks, was another welcome addition to the cultural life of Knaresborough, much appreciated by the audience who faced the centre of the church.
Knaresborough Choral Society deserves every support – and, in particular, would be glad to recruit new singers to add to the 60 or so names printed in the programme.
Arnold Kellet

Singers Span the centuries with opera feast.
A Night at the Opera, Knaresborough Choral Society, King James's School 15th March 2003
A NIGHT at the Opera was promised from Knaresborough Choral Society and soloists and the wide ranging programme spanning a period of over 250 years included many favourites from Purcell, Mozart, Verdi and Bizet amongst many others. The evening began with an extract from Verdi's first major operatic success Va Penciero from Nabucco The chorus sang this with clarity and attention to clear diction the English translation not affecting the quality of the performance. Ably conducted by Martin Binks the chorus was well controlled and sang with good dynamic contrast. This was immediately followed by another operatic classic, the Habenera from Carmen where the soloist lone Cumming gave a teasing performance about the volatile nature of love, actively engaging with the audience. Kevin Ormond performed with an extremely powerful and dramatic sound in Per me giunto in Per me giunto from Verdi's Don Carlos and managed to combine lyricism with passion. Throughout the evening Kevin performed with out music and was liberated to truly engage with the audience. One could not only hear, but also see the commitment of his performance. The Anvil Chorus, a Verdi chorus this time from Il Trovatore, was again well performed, although I feel there could have been a greater broadening of tempo before the climatic sections of the piece. The first half closed with chorus Hail Bright Abode from Wagner's Tannhauser, and this was triumphantly and emphatically performed, the tenors and basses singing particularly well the power in this piece very clearly controlled. After the interval the chorus opened with March of the Toreadors, another piece from Bizet's Carmen. This performance improved throughout although timing of entries, a difficulty in this piece were sometimes inaccurate. One of the highlights of the evening followed, with Ione Cumming performing the lament from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. This haunting lament where Dido tells us to remember her but forget her fate was powerfully moving, and was sang with a beautifully pure tone, and sensitive support from both accompanist Paul Dyson and chorus. David Lace sang reasonably well throughout the evening and his high point came when singing Edgardo's aria from Lucia di Lammermoor by Donizetti. Generally well pitched throughout David successfully negotiated a tricky vocal cadenza, although there were moments when it was difficult to clearly understand what was being sung. One of the chorus's high points of the evening followed in a chorus from Verdi's Macbeth Patria oppressa! where the Scots clansmen sing angrily of their miserable life and times. The chorus sang with excellent dynamic contrast and control, particularly in crescendo, a sure sense of pitch throughout and a solid blend especially in piano passages, something often difficult to achieve. In the penultimate piece of the concert the fourth soloist Denise Blackburn had a difficult task singing the first of the two Queen of the Night arias from Mozart's The Magic Flute. This coloratura soprana part rises to a top F, and calls for extreme vocal gymnastics. No wonder Mozart's Queen of the Night only appears twice, yet Denise had sung in four earlier pieces already! Denise performed this piece with great confidence and pitched all her notes with great accuracy and the audience received this performance with enthusiasm. The final piece of the evening was from Verdi's Aida, and the chorus closed the concert emphatically with their rendition of Glory to Egypt's Holy Gods. Most impressive was the dramatic use of silence for effect. An effective and enjoyable close to the concert. The audience enjoyed the evening and I am sure will eagerly await the collaborative concert with Knaresborough Silver Band and Choral Society at Holy Trinity Church on May 17.
Keith Walden

Choir and soloists excel with bold "Beethoven Fest"
Knaresborough Choral Society Concert, Holy Trinity Church 7th December 2002
KNARESBOROUGH Choral Society is to be congratulated on its enterprising "All Beethoven" concert last Saturday evening in Holy Trinity Church. In his words of welcome to a capacity audience the Rev Paul Greenwood referred to the occasion as a Beethoven Fest which indeed, it turned out to be. The first half of the Programme was devoted to the Mass in C, a beautiful work of about 45 minutes in 'concert performance,' (although it was originally composed for liturgical use). It was the ideal choice for this society at its current stage of development as it is singer-friendly though quite demanding in certain sections, especially in the quasi-fugal parts such as Et vitam venturi which concluded the magnificent setting of the Creed or the Sanctus, which contains very effective but difficult enharmonic changes of key. The four soloists in combination made a good blend in the integrated quartet passages complementing the excellent singing of the chorus and both were ably supported by the orchestra. The orchestration is delightful with especially colourful effects from the double woodwind. The four soloists, soprano Patricia Casement, contralto Hazel Croft, tenor Robert Wade and bass David Bainbridge, combined well in two other items in the programmes: the 'canon' quartet from Fidelio and a small section in the Choral Fantasia which ended the programme. The Choral Fantasia concerns itself more with a mini-concerto like set of variations for piano and orchestra lasting about 15 minutes) and concluding with choir and soloists combining in and concluding with choir and soloist combining in a setting of verses in 'praise of music.' The intricate and at times virtuosic, piano part, was skillfully played by Richard Herriot who was born in Singapore, but trained in Canada. Last, but by no mean least, special mention must be made of the pleasing contribution made by the young local violinist Richard Fletcher. With the orchestra in sympathetic support he played to the Romance in G with elegance and charm. None of this would have been possible were it not for the enterprise of the conductor Martin Binks who, together with his players from the Leeds Symphony Orchestra, brings special distinction to the proceedings, producing concerts of which the Knaresborough Choral Society can be justly proud.
Peter Nelson

Knaresborough Choral Society with Pro-Musica,
Saturday May 18 2002- Holy Trinity Church
THE string ensemble, Knaresborough Pro Musica, opened the concert with Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart. This ever-popular work, written when Mozart was composing Don Giovanni, is far removed from the tension of the opera. The famous opening movement of the Serenade was played with a lively spirit, and there were moments of real excitement. The Romanze followed with a rich tone and the melody sang out clearly here. The Minuet was enjoyable, but the Rondo final movement lacked pace and energy; although quite lightly played; it needed to be faster to bring the work to a more satisfying close. The Holberg Suite by Grieg followed, this being one of his more famous orchestral works, alongside his Piano Concerto and Peer Gynt Suite. All five movements were played with a warm sound, and the soloists played well. Pro Musica must be commended for filling the church with a rich full sound throughout their part of the concert; indeed, the church provided a sympathetic and positive acoustic throughout the evening. The vast majority of the playing was excellent, and the group was extremely well led by Sarah Crick. Moments of real exhilaration were created when the ensemble made a crescendo, and in divisi passages the sound quality did not falter. A high standard had been set for Knaresborough Choral Society to follow, and fortunately they did not disappoint anyone. The choir sang a variety of pieces, some of which had been arranged by the conductor, Paul Dyson. All the pieces of the first half were sung confidently and there were many highlights. Throughout, the choir sang very precisely with excellent diction; every word could be clearly heard. This was particularly effective in Scarborough Fair and The Turtle Dove. All MY Trials was the climax of the first half. The choir sang this piece from memory and, "freed" from the printed music, sang with great expression and passion. The conductor clearly had the singers working for him and they responded to his every gesture effectively. There were excellent dynamic contrasts in this piece, and perhaps it would have been better to include this earlier in the programme, for the confidence this gave the choir spilled over into the final piece of the first half. Hark, 1 Hear the Harps Eternal. A possible criticism is that the pieces were fairly similar in nature, but the choir sang them well, with solid intonation, and they blended well to produce a very good sound. The second-half united Pro Musica and the Choral Society. The half opened with Purcell's Rejoice in the Lord Alway which is also known as the Bell Anthem, this nickname being taken from the descending bass figure which opens the piece. This was performed well, with thoughtful placement of the soloists in the centre of the choir. Following this was Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus, and this was undoubtedly the high point of the evening. The strings and choir blended delightfully to produce a very well-balanced sound; an extremely attentive and responsive choir sang excellently here, and the atmosphere created by the strings fading to nothing at the end of the piece was spellbinding, reflected in the audience's reluctance to applaud and lose the moment which had been created - a welcome silence indeed! Pergolesi's Magnificat completed the evening, and this moved along at an agreeable pace. , Again, the balance between choir and strings was excellent, and the groups combined to produce a sound that filled the church. Soloists sang well here and, aside from an uncomfortable tempo change in the second movement, the work was confidently performed. A pleasurable and memorable evening's entertainment was enjoyed by all. It was the first occasion on which these two fine groups have combined and it is to be hoped that it will have been the first of many.
Keith Waiden

Impressive performance sends audience away happy.
Knaresborough Choral Society, King James's School. Knaresborough 16th March 2002
THE choir, directed by Martin Binks, with three unaccompanied choral pieces.
The first Cohors Generosa, a Welcoming song was accurately performed if lacking in a little vigour to begin with. Nerves had clearly settled in for the second piece, Linden Lea, and the choir sang this piece with clear diction and sensitivity, sopranos and altos singing particularly well. Three Hungarian folksongs followed this and the choir sang together with only occasional moments of uncertainty. Fantasia on Greensleeves for piano duet was the next piece performed and there was a clear understanding between the two pianists, Paul Dyson and Beryl Pankhurst. There then came a selection of pieces performed by the soloists, Denise Blackburn and Graham Webber. Caro Nome from Verdi's Rigoletto, performed by Denise, contained much of Glida's excitement for her "love" but perhaps lacked a little of her dreaminess. La donna e mobile, also from Rigoletto, sung by Graham, was a performance that grew in conviction and we could for a moment, believe women are fickle - not that they are! Lloyd Webber followed and Pie Jesu was enjoyably presented and well pitched througout. Music of the Night was attempted by Graham, although this was abandoned halfway through. This piece covers a wide range of around two octaves and was, sadly, too much. All I ask of You was reasonable, although it lacked passion between the soloists - perhaps if they were to sing without music the performance would have been improved.
The audience awaited the climax of the evening, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, with eager anticipation. This scenic cantata features songs about wine, women and love, based on Latin, old German and French texts. The version performed was an arrangement of the score for two pianos and percussion. The famous opening, Fortuna, was fiery and dramatic, each performer determined to vent his/her frustration towards cruel fate. This anger continued into the second song, Fortune plango vulnera, and initially choir and instrumentalists were at odds with each other. This quickly settled and ultimately resulted in a very powerful beginning to the work. The baritone of Graham led us into the joys of spring and following songs were performed accurately and confidently, the choir becoming truly immersed in the piece. The highlight of the evening came mid- way through: Reie (Swaz hie gat umbe) and Were diu werit alle min, had real energy and built to dizzying climaxes: Estuans interius was particularly suited to Graham's voice, and he sang this angry piece with great venom and bitterness. Later the children's chorus sang ably and with some confidence. Subsequent songs continued to display unity from the choir with generally tight singing, although occasionally the clarity of the text was lost - understandable,' perhaps, in light of the difficulties the words present. In the final section based on "Courtly Love," the soprano leads and it was here that Denise shone. Every note was accurately pitched, and she kept the audience mesmerised in Dulcissime. The return to 0 Fortuna was every bit as dramatic as the beginning and the performers received well- earned applause. Throughout, the singers were well directed, thoughtfully accompanied by both pianists, and the percussion from Leeds Symphony Orchestra added intensity that rarely overpowered. This was a challenging piece for the choir and they gave an impressive and exciting performance. The audience departed, having enjoyed an entertaining evening of music.
Keith Walden

Knaresborough Choral Society.
Holy Trinity Church, Knaresborough, Saturday December 1 2001.
Mozart was on the menu at Knaresborough Choral Society's Christmas concert on Saturday December 1. It was a frosty night but Holy Trinity Church in Knaresborough was still packed for a performance of two religious works by the Salzburger maestro: Solemn Vespers, written as early as 1780, and Wolfgang's very last work, the famous Requiem Mass from 1791. Both the Vespers and the Requiem are grand walls of sound, written for huge choirs and orchestras and designed to be sent soaring past the glided gargoyles and up to the rafters of rococo cathedrals. But Knaresborough Choral Society seemed undaunted, and its 75 singers managed to project themselves right through the more humble surround of Holy Trinity, making up in authority what they lacked in grandiosity. The society would have been hard- pressed to perform such demanding works until quite recently, but its once modest membership has been growing steadily, doubling in the last three years and making more monumental works a possibility for the first time. The music came courtesy of members of the Leeds Symphony Orchestra, along with avuncular conductor Martin Binks, also conductor of the Knaresborough Choral Society itself. Dressed in his trademark white dinner jacket, Mr. Binks gave his usual relaxed but informative introductions to each piece. He told the audience that the Requiem Mass was one of the very first distinctively religious pieces of music in the classical tradition, while Solemn Vespers represented an earlier tradition, in which no stylistic distinction was made between church and secular music. The Requiem Mass was only partially completed at the time of Mozart's death in 1791 age 35, and Mr. Binks summarised the true story of its composition for the benefit of those in the audience who remembered its use in the 1986 film Amadeus, which depicted the legendary Austrian composing the work on his deathbed. Despite the name, Solemn Vespers is not noticeably solemn in the modern sense. The lyrics come from several psalms and the Gospel of Luke, but the music seemed to be no more than a montage of musical curlicues, parping horns and stabbing crescendos. The orchestra and choir played and sang well but there was a lack of bite to the performance, as though they just weren't as interested in this opening piece. But after a leisurely half- hour interval, the Society kicked into the the famously dramatic Requiem and things got noticeably fierier. With its stern and scary lyrics about the damned being condemned to "keen flames," "the pains of Hell," "the bottomless pit", "the jaws of the lion", and (just to make absolutely sure) "darkness", this is a piece which really benefits from the booming majesty of a huge choir. Knaresborough Choral Society obviously couldn't offer that but the performers threw themselves into the piece with gusto, the four soloists in particular coining into their own. Soprano Patricia Casement, mezzo Hazel Croft and bass David Bainbridge are all members of West Riding Opera, while tenor John Dunford (replacing an indisposed Graham Webber) is director of music at Ashville College, and it wasn't difficult to hear such experience in their voices, which all took flight and soared through their solos with an impressive power.
Cameron Paterson