By Press Release
Ryde Chorus provided an evening of sacred music, from Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) and modern composer Karl Jenkins (b. 1944), in St Catherine’s Church in Ventnor on Saturday.
The concert began with a piano performance by James Longford of William Byrd’s Pavan and Galliard, ‘Passing Measures’. This piece illustrated the evolution of European music over 400 years, and displayed some of the florid ornamentation developed by the composer and his contemporaries.
Ryde Chorus then performed a selection of Karl Jenkins’ Sacred Songs. Choir and soloists rose to the occasion, performing with a delicacy and balance that was a pleasure to hear. From the lovely final Amen, in the Ave Verum, to the deceptively simple Benedictus, with its climactic fortissimo Hosanna, the choir demonstrated precision and balance, particularly when accompanying soloist and solo instrumentalists. The first half ended with a splendidly exact series of the staccato phrase “pa-ra-di-sum”.
Fauré’s Requiem was arranged for organ, harp, solo violin and solo cello which, although obviously much smaller forces than the more common full orchestra, retains much of the sonority and lyricism of the composition. The work is emotionally laden, especially in the solo passages, when the choir fulfils the role of the ‘chorus’ in classical Greek theatre – commenting and elaborating on what the soloist is singing.
The Requiem is another deceptively simple work, but with difficult entries, pitching and timing. To deliver such pieces requires hard work, and the quality of the performance demonstrated that the choir and their director had put in that work. Inevitably there were occasional hiccups, but my verdict is that Ryde Chorus is on the road forward.
The choir is looking for new and extra members for all four voices in the choir.