Brahms’ Requiem is a very difficult, highly technical sing even for the most accomplished professional choirs. Last night came together for us brilliantly in every way. There were some very special moments from your opening pianissimo chords, to some terrifically spirited singing in the tricky fugues and the highly dramatic 3/4 section “Denn es wird die Posaune schallen” P.65 (and one of my favourite bits). The tuning was also generally very good, and when the orchestra came in after any of our unaccompanied bits, we were always bang in tune. Choir, orchestra, soloists and audience are vital to successful concerts. Many thanks to all of you who sold tickets!!! The audience clearly enjoyed the concert, loving your singing, that of the soloists and the orchestral playing – and without that feedback, and immediate reaction in the clapping, it isn’t really a concert. So, as I said earlier, it all came together brilliantly and I was extremely pleased. I thought you were great and it was a fitting summation of a hard, but hopefully fun, term’s work.
The orchestra were also excellent (on their one rehearsal!) and many told me they enjoyed the evening. The soloists were outstanding; it was fantastic to see Lizzie Weisberg again, who has become a regular favourite, and Julien van Mellaerts was also fabulous. If you didn’t checkout his website, he has won both the Wigmore Hall Song Prize the Kathleen Ferrier Competition amongst others, and he told me last night that he is also doing well in the preliminary rounds of the Cardiff Singer of the World, for which you have to be nominated in the first place! He told me last night he was very impressed with the whole evening. This was his first Brahms’ Requiem, and he is keen to join us again!
I hope you enjoy a well earned rest and look forward to seeing as many of you as possible for our next term. Haydn’s Masses are a real treat and are every bit as good as Mozart’s! The Purcell and Gabrieli will also be brilliant for developing our “ensemble” Consort style, as well as being iconic pieces of music.
See you next term!

Simon