Music From A Farr, Vector Wellington Orchestra, Town Hall, reviewed by Garth Wilshere
Saturday, 12 July
Vector On Fire
This concert had a rousing start as conductor Marc Taddei reached the
podium and launched into the opening work, Leonard Bernstein's
magnificent Chichester Psalms.
With the text arranged by by Bernstein from the Psalms in their
original Hebrew it can be a challenge for choirs, but the Orpheus Choir
handled it with good diction and power, particularly when the whole
choir was in full voice. They are a big choir but have agility and
flexibility.
The is a problem with vocal ballance. The Orpheus has a large soprano
and alto section, and twenty basses, but with only eight tenors (a
recurring difficulty for most choirs). It is impossible, despite their
good work, not to notice the deficiency, but that did not detract from
the overall impact which was terrific. The solo soprano line was
attractively and sweetly sung by Julia Moss-Pearson. Under Taddei's
dynamic direction the orchestra responded with great strength and
precision making for a marvellously affecting and powerful performance
from everybody.
Gareth Farr's Triple Concerto
is arguably his finest classical work, written for the virtuosic
abilities of the NZ Trio (Justine Cormack - violin, Ashley Brown - cell
and Sarah Watkins - piano). Each player has solo lines which allow
their strengths to shine.
I heard echoes of Lilburn in the string writing but more than anything
else a richly romantic Russian flavour, mentioned by Farr in his notes
as Rachmaninov and Shostakovich. The sweep, intenstity and bite in the
strings was marvellously realised in a tremendously good performance.
In the exotic Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade based on The Tales From The
Arabian Nights, we had bold and committed playing, with Matthew Ross's
lovely violin solos representing the Princess Scheherazade, close to
perfection.
Probably the Vector Wellington Orchestra's best concert to date under Taddei and a concert year highlight.
Orpheus At The Movies
What: Orpheus Choir
and the Vector Wellington Orchestra, conducted by Michael Fulcher with
Sarah Lineham (soprano) and Chris Crowe (baritone)
Where: Michael Fowler Centre, November 30
Review by: Lindis Taylor
The title, Orpheus At The Movies, was a bit of a misnomer. None of the
musicals in the show was written primarily for the cinema; most
premiered on Broadway and were later filmed.
Harold Arlen's Over The Rainbow from The Wizard Of Oz was the only real
Hollywood tune, touchingly sung by Sarah Lineham.
Looking splendid in black, the choir made an immediate impact with It's
A Grand Night For Singing (Rodgers and Hammerstein), singing with
razor-sharp ensemble and diction. Further impressed by sensitive
lighting and Michael Fulcher's obvious comfort in his role, I settled
down for a good evening.
After a slightly less than punchy opening to Gershwin's 1927 Strike Up
The Band, the choir had few moments that were less than full-blooded,
animated and totally committed.
And thanks to Christchurch arranger Richard Marrett, the choruses
suited the choir perfectly, and the orchestra had a conspicuously
stylish role.
These songs were second nature to the two soloists. Lineham's voice was
sweet and musical, her lines beautfully shaped and evenly sung with
well-judged vibrato. Chris Crowe looked the seasoned performer, voice a
bit nasal, with a snarl that was just right for Luck Be A Lady from
Guys And Dolls. I was pleased to be reminded what a great show Frank
Loessner's Guys And Dolls was, with a rewarding bracket for both
soloists and choir.
Lineham's If I Were A Bell was a real delight, and My Time Of Day gave
Crowe a fine break. On the other hand Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady
got scant attention, though with an excellent I Could Have Danced All
Night from Lineham.
I had approached the evening wondering how this great choir, whose
normal fare is classical choral masterpieces and which, until recently,
would have sung Messiah at this time of year, would take to Broadway.
The size and character of the audience suggested that they might have
forsaken many of their traditional followers, but the evening was a
winner for all that.
WHAT: Orb and
Sceptre
WHERE:
Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, 19 September 2007
REVIEWED BY: Garth
Wilshere, Capital Times
Exhilarating
The theme of this concert was coronation music, so it was appropriate
to perform in the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul. But with the choir
in the middle of the cathedral, there is no solid surface to focus and
help project the sound. However when the whole choir was in full voice
there were many splendid moments. Walton's Coronation Te Deum
had strength, and Jerusalem was stirring.
The second half of the programme was devoted to Sir Edward Elgar,
opening with his arrangement of God
Save The King. The major work was Coronation Ode Op 44,
written in 1902 for Edward VII. It is full of the pomp and circumstance
you would expect. This performance utilising the organ – the
excellent Max Kenworthy – and the New Zealand Brass was fine,
although the full orchestra was occasionally missed. The choir relished
the big majestic moments.
Of the soloists soprano Janey MacKenzie stood out for her vibrant,
bright tone and excellent performance. All the musical forces were well
prepared by conductor Michael Fulcher, who frequently got exhilarating
performances.
WHAT: Music of Alfred Hill, conducted by Michael Fulcher
WHERE:
Wellington Town Hall, 2 June 2007
REVIEWED BY:
Garth Wilshere
Alfred Hill was our first major composer. Though born in Melbourne, he
spent his early formative years in New Zealand, living in Wellington
from 1875-87 and 1891-1910.
He gained the respect of Māori for his understanding of their
sensibilities. Many of his works have Māori-influenced themes, and have
Māori titles. His music, though, is definitely of the European school
of his time. The patriotic flavour of Empire reminiscent of Elgar is
recognisable in his pieces.
Three pieces nicely performed by the Pelorus Trust Wellington Brass
Band, under David Bremner, set the scene. The Orpheus Choir under
Michael Fulcher was in good form, with vocal lines well delineated,
singing with subtlety and attention to detail in the brief Kyrie from
Hill's Mass.
His most well known song Waiata
Poi
was beautifully sung by soprano Timua Brennan, backed by the Dominion
String Quartet. Hill held Edward Elgar in high regard and as a tribute
to him the Quartet played Elgar's Salut d'Amour. The
Dominion String Quartet performed Hill's Quartet No. 2, A Māori Legend,
which was melodic and folk tune-influenced in the mould of, and
musically very reminiscent of Dvořák.
The highlight was the reconstructed Commemorative Ode
written for the Christchurch International Exhibition of 1906-7, with
words by Johannes C Anderson. It is a rousing and patriotic piece in
celebration of Empire. Using the combined orchestra, brass band, organ,
full choir and soloists, it was vibrantly stirring stuff, the
performance excellent held together by Fulcher. The soloists acquitted
themselves well, but Brennan really stood out in full rich and
powerfully soaring voice with all the orchestral forces behind her. The
whole was thrilling with all the performers supported by the weight of
orchestra, organ, brass band and the the choir making a resounding
impression.
WHAT: Handel's Messiah; The
Orpheus Choir Of Wellington, Vector Wellington Orchestra conducted by
Michael Fulcher
WHERE:
Wellington Town Hall, April 28
REVIEWED BY:
John Button
It might seem odd to have a performance of Messiah at the end of April,
but it didn't deter a sizable number of the faithful.
And they would have had little to complain about, for this was a very
polished performance. Indeed, it was a salutary reminder of just how
much standards, across the board, have improved in recent years.
The choir, numbering a little fewer than 100 singers, delivered all the
punch needed in the dramatic choruses, and plenty of clarity and
finesse elsewhere. The soloists were a well-balanced quartert, and the
orchestra of thirty or so players was highly articulate and polished.
I suppose Handel aficionados, aware of the modern way with this iconic
work, might have wished for a more theatrical treatment, and they might
have had a small point. Conductor Fulcher certainly opted for fairly
safe tempos, and on occasions, particularly in Part 1, a little more
varation, a little more light and shade, would have been welcome.
Parts 2 and 3 were more dynamic, with a brilliantly buoyant and
incisive Hallelujah
Chorus, a wonderfully heroic The Trumpet Shall Sound
from veteran Grant Dickson with marvellous trumpet playing from Mathew
Stenbo, and a lovely, uncomplicated I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
from Lisette Wesseling.
All the soloists had their moments, with tenor Benjamin Makisi, an
occasional intonation problem apart, suitably ringing in Every Valley.
Counter-tenor Robert Cross was always highly polished, if not quite
suited to the large Town Hall.
The immaculate continuo playing of Douglas Mews, on harpsichord and
chamber organ, summed up the whole performance's overall polish. With
just a little more drama it would have been absolutely stunning.
Amadeus: music by
Mozart. The Orpheus Choir conducted by Michael Fulcher with Morag
Atchison, Ben Makisi, Anna Sedcole and Sarah Rooney; Vector Wellington
Orchestra.
Where: Wellington Town Hall, Saturday 25 November 2006
Review by: Lindis Taylor
For the first time I can remember, no performance of
Handel’s Messiah
by a major choir will take place this year in Wellington. However, the
choir will perform Messiah
next Easter.
The Mozart pot-pourri that conductor Michael Fulcher devised attracted
a good house, with the help of sponsors, Spicers, and their guests. It
introduced the audience to less familiar works, particularly the operas
Idomeneo,
written ten years before Mozart’s death, and La Clemenza Di Tito,
begun after but performed before The
Magic Flute in the composer’s last year. Though
both have had concert performances here, neither is likely soon to be
seen on stage.
As well as finely-tuned accompaniments, the 32-piece orchestra played
the Overture to Don Giovanni and the first movement of the Paris
Symphony.
The concert centred on choral excerpts from operas and liturgical
works, offering many striking examples of the choir’s present
excellence under Michael Fulcher. Mozart’s genius in setting
opera choruses can easily be overlooked, and brilliant pieces such as
the peasant girls’ celebration of the forthcoming wedding of
Figaro and Susanna, the short choral Finale from The Abduction from the Seraglio,
and the chorus of Romans singing in praise of their magnanimous emperor
Titus, were most impressive. The choir excelled in choruses
from Idomeneo,
in the Gloria
from
the Coronation Mass
and parts of the great Requiem.
In between and often embedded in the choral excerpts were solos, the
stars of which were soprano Morag Atchison and tenor Benjamin Makisi.
Since her return from singing professionally abroad for some years,
Atchison has established a significant place in New Zealand. Her voice
is brilliant (along with agility in the famous Alleluia), secure
and interestingly coloured. Atchison’s first aria, Porgi amor (The Marriage of Figaro),
gained by her rising from a chair after a few bars, to bring the scene
to life.
Makisi entered to join Atchison in Fra gli amplessi
from Cosi Fan Tutte,
a most arresting vignette. He was impressive enough in the 2004 touring
production of the same opera, but his voice has settled and he is now
master of polished vocal and histrionic skills.
He also sang the stunning bravura aria Se all’impero
from La Clemenza Di Tito,
with which he won the rich McDonalds Aria in Sydney. Sopranos Anna
Sedcole and Sarah Rooney filled out roles in other ensembles.
Not Messiah,
but a concert with an interesting theme, excellently performed.
What:
Orpheus Choir and New Zealand Brass. Venetian Splendour: Renaissance
Venetian music by the Gabrielis, Schütz and others. Conducted
by
Michael Fulcher.
Where: Cathedral of St
Paul, Wednesday 13 September
Reviewed by: Lindis
Taylor
In the 16th century the wealthy states of Italy, and especially Venice,
developed music of great opulence and splendour. In Florence opera
evolved, and in Venice it was brilliant church music, inspired by the
configuration of the Basilica of St Mark which led to divided choruses
and brass ensembles that lifted the liturgy to unprecedented heights.
The singers and brass players at St Paul's, divided into two parts in
front of the choir stalls, brought this music vividly to life. The
performances, directed with precision and idiomatic sensitivity by
Michael Fulcher, were aurally and visually exciting.
The principal names in 16th-century Venice were Andrea and Giovanni
Gabrieli, whose legacies give a special brilliance to Renaissance
music. From Andrea we heard O Sacrum Convivium (unaccompanied) and the
Magnificat for 12 voices in which complex polychoral voices and
soloists were joined by organist Michael Stewart and the eight players
of New Zealand Brass in an imposing musical tapestry.
Giovanni's music comprised Jubilateo Deo, Omnes Gentes and In
Ecclesiis, all of which exhibited remarkable expressive features and
benefited greatly from the cathedral acoustic.
The balance of the choral pieces were not by a Venetian, but by
Heinrich Schütz, born in Saxon exactly 100 years before Bach
(his
life straddled the Thirty Years War in Germany) and whose music, to
German texts, shows clear lineage to the great JS Bach.
When he was about 25, Schütz studied with Giovanni Gabrieli
for
three years and was clearly influenced by the choral innovations at St
Mark's.
The choral works were separated by several brass fanfares and canzonas
by Venetian contemporaries, as well as St Edmundsbury Fanfare, by
Benjamin Britten. The ensemble comprised trumpets, trombones, horn and
tuba, played from various parts of the nave to achieve the
most
impressive effects.
A full cathedral brought deserved recognition to this magnificent
concert.
The Armed Man
– Karl Jenkins
Wellington Town
Hall, June 28th, 8pm
Soloists: Jenny Wollerman, Helen Medlyn, Jack Bourke and Grant
Dickson
Vector Wellington Orchestra
Conductor: Michael Fulcher
The Armed Man, a mass for peace by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins, has
taken the UK choral scene by storm – it has gained huge
attention, admired by choirs and audiences alike.
It was
commissioned by Guy Wilson, Master of the Royal Armouries, to mark the
millennium. Troubled by the state of world conflict, he
wanted a
work that would reflect on war and peace in a multi-cultural, global
society. The result is this powerful cycle of
songs, which
Jenkins dedicated to the victims of Kosovo, where tragedy was unfolding
as he composed the piece.
Jenkins uses texts from a variety of sources – beginning with
the
15th century folk tune L’Homme Armé, and including
Biblical, Muslim, and Hindu as well as poetry of the classical poets,
an Hiroshima survivor, and Guy Wilson himself. The
music
invokes many styles, reflecting Jenkins’ broad background
–
his early years in church music, a post-graduate music degree from the
Royal Academy, jazz, pop and classical. Above all, The Armed
Man
is a compelling yet very accessible musical account of the terrible
consequences of war and a passionate plea for peace.
Premiered in the Royal Albert Hall in April 2000, the Mass drew
“prolonged shouts of approval from the
audience”.
Orpheus Choir’s performance will be the first with orchestra
in
New Zealand, and offers a brilliant line-up of soloists: Jenny
Wollerman, Helen Medlyn, Jack Bourke and Grant Dickson, joined by
Vector Wellington Orchestra. In the first half of the
concert,
Helen will sing the mezzo solo from Prokofiev’s Alexander
Nevsky,
and Grant, whose powerful Titurel impressed so much in the recent NZ
International Arts Festival’s Parsifal, will sing
Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death. Orpheus
Musical
Director Michael Fulcher, who is gaining accolades for the quality of
his work with choir and orchestra, will conduct.
This is a concert not to be missed.
Tickets $15-$40 from Ticketek
L’Homme Armé text translation 15th century secular
song:
The armed man should be
feared.
Everywhere it has been proclaimed
that every man should arm himself
with a coat of iron mail