Review of the Concert on 30th November 2024 by Wim Berenson
| Type of post: | Review |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | James Chute |
| Status: | Archived |
| Date Posted: | Mon, 12 Jan 2026 |
The choral societies of Britain have been the backbone of the nation's music for several centuries, never more important than now with the worrying neglect of classical music in modern culture. So three cheers for Fairford & District Choral Society to be doing more than their bit to turn our minds to the amazing grandeur and sophistication of sacred music at its classical height, in their winter concert in St Mary's, Fairford.
Angels and musicians look down from St Mary's renowned stained glass windows, and the church was extremely well filled for a rich banquet of Haydn, Mozart and Schubert works. Marvellous chordal textures, lovely melodic harmonies, exuberant rhythms, fearless high notes, these works speak of far more than the sacred Latin texts they use - here are three genius composers working at their very best to impress both God and their employers. Such works are not for the faint-hearted, being written for remarkable cathedral and court choirs and setting utmost challenges, which the Fairford singers rose to with the willingness that identifies the essential place of such societies in this country's musical continuity.
The choir, some 50-strong, has powerful, well-tuned lower voices with fleets of altos, making a richer texture than some choirs can manage. The programme required much of the small band of sopranos, given thrilling lines written by the composers for the dynamic young choirboys of their day, and there were signs of strain here and there. Still, right the way from Haydn's exuberant Te Deum to the heights of Mozart's Solemn Vespers the capacity and musical ambition of the Fairford society was clear, if perhaps rebalancing the female sections looks worth considering.
A quality quartet of soloists, linked via the sympathetic music director Nia Llewelyn Jones to Gloucester Cathedral, ensured some delightful moments in the exposed solo parts. The beautiful lyrical tenor voice of Will Renouccie phrased with particular musicality, and, amazingly, a single family provided the other three, all professional singers involved in the cathedral. Catherine and Nicholas Perfect offered mellifluous mezzo and bass voices, while their 16-year-old daughter, Harriet Perfect, delivered the important soprano solos of the Mozart and Schubert with astonishing volume, clarity and rock-steady tuning. Gloucester Cathedral must be delighted to have such an outstanding chorister, though she could learn to calibrate her volume better in ensembles.
The bedrock of this admirable evening was the splendid organist Robin Baggs, who deserved the mighty cheers he received at the end of the concert. The attractive programme, translating all the texts, was another sign of an arts society that cares about both quality art and its community.
Angels and musicians look down from St Mary's renowned stained glass windows, and the church was extremely well filled for a rich banquet of Haydn, Mozart and Schubert works. Marvellous chordal textures, lovely melodic harmonies, exuberant rhythms, fearless high notes, these works speak of far more than the sacred Latin texts they use - here are three genius composers working at their very best to impress both God and their employers. Such works are not for the faint-hearted, being written for remarkable cathedral and court choirs and setting utmost challenges, which the Fairford singers rose to with the willingness that identifies the essential place of such societies in this country's musical continuity.
The choir, some 50-strong, has powerful, well-tuned lower voices with fleets of altos, making a richer texture than some choirs can manage. The programme required much of the small band of sopranos, given thrilling lines written by the composers for the dynamic young choirboys of their day, and there were signs of strain here and there. Still, right the way from Haydn's exuberant Te Deum to the heights of Mozart's Solemn Vespers the capacity and musical ambition of the Fairford society was clear, if perhaps rebalancing the female sections looks worth considering.
A quality quartet of soloists, linked via the sympathetic music director Nia Llewelyn Jones to Gloucester Cathedral, ensured some delightful moments in the exposed solo parts. The beautiful lyrical tenor voice of Will Renouccie phrased with particular musicality, and, amazingly, a single family provided the other three, all professional singers involved in the cathedral. Catherine and Nicholas Perfect offered mellifluous mezzo and bass voices, while their 16-year-old daughter, Harriet Perfect, delivered the important soprano solos of the Mozart and Schubert with astonishing volume, clarity and rock-steady tuning. Gloucester Cathedral must be delighted to have such an outstanding chorister, though she could learn to calibrate her volume better in ensembles.
The bedrock of this admirable evening was the splendid organist Robin Baggs, who deserved the mighty cheers he received at the end of the concert. The attractive programme, translating all the texts, was another sign of an arts society that cares about both quality art and its community.
