The
fantastic setting of Rendcomb College on a perfect summer evening formed the
backdrop to a concert given by the Cappella Singers, director Philip Colls, and
pianorecitalist Timothy Barratt.
The
fantastic setting of Rendcomb College on a perfect summer evening formed the
backdrop to a concert given by the Cappella Singers, director Philip Colls, and
piano
recitalist Timothy Barratt.
Two Spanish pieces by Juan del Encina gave a robust, rhythmic and confident start to the evening, with a full rich sound that was a feature of the choir’s performance throughout. A beautiful arrangement of Shenandoah allowed the warm and secure tone of the altos to shine through.
Three Songs from Richard Rodney Bennett’s “Nonsense” suite were amusing, if totally silly, with an excellent balance between the 4-handed piano accompaniment and the choir.
Timothy Barratt was excellent as both soloist and accompanist. He played the very energetic Rhapsody in C by Ernio Dohnanyi, Handel in the Strand by Percy Grainer, and Debussy’s Clair de Lune – a delightful programme.
The second half of the choir’s programme opened with a sequence of excerpts from Carmina Burana, accompanied by the composer’s reduced scoring for two pianos (Timothy Barratt and Andrew Gunning) which worked very well. The choir produced both lusty and tender moments to suit the music, with a lovely soprano solo by Celia McCabe.
Carmina Burana is a hard act to follow and to me the later stage of the
concert, featuring songs by Sondheim, Rodgers and Hart, and Ray Noble’s Love is
the Sweetest Thing, fell slightly flat. I sense they would have come into their
own more if they had been earlier in the programme. That said, this was a most
enjoyable evening in all ways, and fully justified the Cappella Singers’
reputation for high musical standards and interesting programmes.
PT
The Cappella Singers: Registered Charity no 262530