SPONSORED: Vocal Glory - Massenet's Manon in HD from New York Metropolitan Opera, enjoyed by Maria Nockin.
All sponsored features >>
Spellbinding Musical Effect
LUCAS BALL is impressed by Brahms and Wagner in Worcester Cathedral
What great control Samuel Hudson had over tempo changes during the Worcester Festival Choral Society Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem performance. Passages of liturgical majesty got unleashed from chorus and orchestra under his direction. The subtleties in Brahms' score accumulated into a very spellbinding musical effect.
Worcester Festival Choral Society, soloists Julien Van Mellaerts and Rebecca Hardwick (far left) and conductor Samuel Hudson acknowledging the audience applause after their performance of Brahms' German Requiem in Worcester Cathedral on 25 November 2023. Photo © 2023 Michael Whitefoot
Interaction between soloists - Rebecca Hardwick and Julien Van Mellaerts - and chorus was gorgeous. Part six's polyphonic passages were managed with great control as well.
Julien Van Mellaerts and Rebecca Hardwick performing Brahms in Worcester Cathedral on 25 November 2023. Photos © 2023 Michael Whitefoot
Many audience members may only feel the need to congratulate all singers on this occasion for singing the German words of this large scale work with this level of discipline.
Worcester Festival Choral Society performing Brahms' Requiem in Worcester Cathedral on 25 November 2023. Photo © 2023 Michael Whitefoot
Despite Wagner's Siefried Idyll having excitable passages, this was not allowed to become trivialised. Passages where sonorous tone quality came to the fore never became over-indulgent. Indeed, the individual musical motifs demonstrated the gentler side of Wagner.
Samuel Hudson conducting in Worcester Cathedral on 25 November 2023. Photo © 2023 Michael Whitefoot
Samuel Hudson also handled the interesting key changes with ease and without unnecessary fuss.
Copyright © 4 December 2023
Lucas Ball,
Worcestershire UK
