Here we are in August again and time to remind you about the new Choral season.

Review of concert given by the Cupar Choral Society

on 27^th March 2010

The work chosen by the Cupar Choral Society for its Spring Concert on Saturday, 27^th March in Cupar Corn Exchange was “A German Requiem” by Brahms conducted by its musical director Bruce Fraser with soloists Alison McNeill, soprano and Ben McAteer, baritone.

 The idea of writing a Requiem preoccupied Brahms for some years. The first three movements were performed in 1867 but the completed work only received its first performance in 1869 in Leipzig to great acclaim. Its success established Brahms’s reputation internationally. The ‘German’ in the title refers to the language used which is German rather than Latin and does not follow the traditional liturgical text but was chosen from Luther’s rendering of the Bible. In his choice of text and language Brahms aimed to provide an emotional response to bereavement rather than a religious one.

 The performance demonstrated Bruce Fraser’s understanding of this great choral masterpiece. Each movement was given its individual expressive character with well judged tempi throughout. Unfortunately the acoustics and lack of space inhibited the full realisation of this performance. The curtains behind the choir dampened the resonance, particularly in the soft singing. The men, despite their best efforts, were the main losers. One was aware of a great deal of carefully prepared expressive singing but the overall impression was diminished. The orchestra, specially assembled for this concert, sounded overexposed, being so close to the audience. There were some untidy moments in the orchestral playing, probably due to the lack of time available for rehearsals. This is a very demanding piece for both chorus and orchestra.
The two soloists were excellent. Ben McAteer was commanding and totally convincing. Alison McNeill’s beautiful lyric soprano shaped her solo most expressively.

This was a very creditable performance and it is sad that a choir of the standing of Cupar Choral does not have a more rewarding venue in which to display its talents.

Béla Simandi

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on 13^th December 2009

 A Most Enjoyable Evening

“O magnum misterium” by the American composer Morten Lauridsen is a gentle, quietly spiritual composition. It received a tender, affectionate account.

St Columba’s Primary School Choir opened the second half of the concert singing five choral items by composers including Rutter, Berthier and Mark Patterson. Under the direction of Margaret Macari with Fiona Haldene at the piano they sang with great clarity of diction, nicely judged dynamic range and obvious love for the music. How uplifting to hear young children involved in great music making!

Vivaldi’s “Gloria” brought this memorable musical evening to an end. Here again the chorus displayed a commendable variety of colours, responding to Bruce Fraser’s direction with sensitivity and power. The soloists, Emma Versteeg and Elysia Leech sang their solos and the duet ‘Laudamus te’ with assurance and vocal agility. For the final chorus ‘Cum Sancto Spiritu’ the youngsters from St Columba’s joined the choir for a thrilling finale. Organist Robin Bell gave firm support throughout the concert, choosing fascinatingly varied registrations for the different movements in the Vivaldi.

A glass of wine, mince pie and excited appreciative conversation afterwards in the Church Hall rounded off a most enjoyable evening.

Cupar Choral Performs in Crail Parish Church

Cupar Choral Society ended its 2008/9 season in style with a concert at Crail Parish Church on April 26th. The church, which was originally consecrated in 1243, was a delightful place in which to sing, with plenty of natural light and good acoustics.

Cupar Choral Society gave its Spring concert on Saturday, 28th March, in St John's Church, offering a programme of choral music in a variety of styles to an appreciative audience. The works on offer were Schubert's Deutsche Messe, composed in 1827, John Rutter's Te Deum, which had its first performance in 1988, and three Coronation Anthems composed by Handel for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline in 1721 - music from three different and diverse centuries. An additional item on the programme was an organ solo given by Graeme Stevenson, who accompanied the choral performance. He played the first of a set of three Chorale Preludes, "Be Thou my Vision" by the contemporary Hungarian composer, Zsolt Gárdonyi.
From the beginning, it was evident that the choir was in good form, and had benefited from excellent and disciplined training by their musical director, Bruce Fraser. The performance of Schubert’s Deutsche Messe displayed a beautiful and well controlled vocal tone, which brought out the delightful freshness of Schubert’s lovely melodies and the simple, unadorned texture of the music. The beautifully shaped phrasing, the excellent diction, and good use of dynamics gave a very expressive quality to the performance. This was especially noticeable in the Credo, which moved along at a buoyant yet unhurried pace, with dramatic dynamic contrasts. Also, the closing section, the Finale or Benediction moved along at a good pace, giving expressive flow to Schubert’s melodic writing, and the entire performance reflected a calm yet joyful dignity of the Christian mass.
The choral performance was enhanced by the sensitive yet supportive accompaniment on the organ by Graeme Stevenson, who then gave a performance of the Chorale Prelude ‘Be Thou my Vision’, by Zsolt Gárdonyi. This was an interesting work, previously unknown to me. Its harmonies and rhythms were exciting, displaying the influences of the composer’s Hungarian background. In fact, his father, also a composer, had studied with such eminent composers as Kodály (also Hungarian), and Hindemith. The work, together with Graeme Stevenson’s imaginative registration, offered opportunity for the members of St John’s to hear a wide variety of tones from their recently installed organ, and, while interesting and diverse variations were being played, the familiar tune ‘Slane’ was evident throughout. This solo gave us opportunity to listen only to Graeme Stevenson’s fine playing.
The performance direction at the head of John Rutter’s Te Deum is “Lively and jubilant”, and that really sums up both the work itself and also the performance by Cupar Choral Society. With its very lively rhythms and colourful harmonies, as well as many changes of both key and time signature, this hymn of praise to the glory of God is indeed an exuberant work, and it was sung with joy, confidence and conviction. As in the first work, the vocal tone was lovely and well controlled, with beautiful legato especially in the melismatic phrases. The many key changes and complex time signature changes were very skilfully managed thanks to Bruce Fraser’s very clear and unfussy conducting style, as were the many exciting, dramatic contrasts, with no sense of any forcing of the tone in crescendo or fortissimo passages. It was indeed a very powerful performance, executed with skill, as well as with careful adherence to the composer’s intentions. Once again, the organist’s accompaniment was both sensitive and supportive, and the joyous organ introduction and glorious postlude provided the opportunity to appreciate his masterly playing.
The second half of the concert was devoted to three of Handel’s Coronation Anthems, beginning with ‘The King Shall Rejoice’. After the long introduction, the choir made its entry with a confidence that was maintained throughout. The very typical Handelian stately dotted rhythms were well articulated, and long melismatic sequences were well managed, as were the fugal entries during the third movement. The fourth movement with its chorus of alleluias brought the anthem to a triumphant conclusion. This was followed by ‘My Heart is Inditing’. Here again, the entries and the dotted rhythms were clearly articulated, and in fact, it seemed tome that the choir’s vocal tone developed a new richness of quality towards the end of this piece. Once again, the organist is to be congratulated also on his skilful accompaniment. The concluding item of the concert was ‘Zadok the Priest’, and after the long entry with the familiar works, “Zadock the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anointed Solomon King” – always wonderful to hear, after no matter how many times! The entry of the choir was indeed glorious and triumphant, and the tone of the full choir was thrilling. The Rhythms were precise, and the homophonic texture, particularly at the words “God save the King, long live the King!” was so clearly defined. As had been the case throughout the concert, the choir’s tone and diction were excellent, and the wonderful fusion of the organ and choir was a joy to listen to. A particularly noteworthy moment was the ‘Amen’ passage towards the end, where the sopranos, altos and tenors were singing detached quavers, while the basses sang their legato sequential melismatic passage. The singing of the ‘Alleluia Amen’ brought the work to a joyful and triumphant conclusion.
Having said all that, I think that, for me, the highlight of the concert was the Te Deum by Rutter. I would say also that I longed for more eye contact between choir and audience, and some smiles, particularly at such oft-repeated words as ‘rejoice’ or ‘alleluia’, but, nevertheless, choir, organist and conductor all performed with aplomb, and are to be congratulated on such a fine performance. The audience, although appreciative, looked a little sparse in the vast space of St John’s Church, the acoustic of which is much to be preferred to that of the Corn Exchange! We in Cupar are fortunate indeed to have such a fine Choral Society, which was formed in March, 1865, and which continues into the 21st century to provide us with concerts twice a year, in Spring, and towards Christmas, from a very rich and widely varied repertoire.

As published in the Fife Herald and Citizen
Friday, December 12, 2008

Choral’s creditable “Creation”