Choral

Choir: Chorus of Opera North Conductor: Oliver Rundell Reviewer: Ron Simpson There are many ways in which different art forms can merge and identify with each other, from the Wagnerian concept of the Gesamtkunstwerk to people who sense music in terms of colour. So to programme a short concert by the Chorus of Opera North to fit into the Yorkshire ...

Writer: Falk Richter Director: Ildiko Nemeth Reviewer: Robert Price Electronic City begins with big questions, spoken by an ensemble dressed all in black: Where am I, who am I, and what is the series of numbers I need to open this briefcase? Existential quandary in the smartphone era doesn’t sound all that different from the Greek chorus-style playwriting of the ...

Led by the Massed Gaelic Choirs of Scotland Reviewer: Dominic Corr Over fifty thousand individuals reportedly speak Gaelic throughout Scotland. As an indigenous language, it’s official status is not recognised by either the UK nor European Union, though thanks to the Gaelic Language (Scotland) 2005 Act it is here, to an extent. Attempts to revitalise it’s use are ongoing, one ...

Choirs: Huddersfield Choral Society, Huddersfield Choral Society Youth Choirs Orchestra: Orchestra of Opera North Conductor: Paul Daniel Choral Director: Gregory Batsleer Reviewer: Ron Simpson The Huddersfield Choral Society’s final concert of the 2018-2019 season had several unusual features. It was only the second time that the society had presented a major concert without vocal soloists. The major work was, to ...

Writer: Jessica Walker Musical Director: Joseph Atkins Director: Jacqui Honess-Martin Reviewer: Ron Simpson Opera North’s commemoration of the end of the Great War peaks with two premieres in two nights: the world premiere of Not Such Quiet Girls and the UK premiere of Silent Night. For these, the Chorus is divided by gender and in Not Such Quiet Girls, a ...

Conductor: Harry Christophers CBE Reviewer: John Kennedy The bleak mid-winter snow-blitz has taken its toll on audience attendance this evening. Nevertheless, evening-gowned, white dickie-bowed and tuxedoed, The Sixteen elegantly complement the grandeur of the Symphony Hall. Matching solemnity with panache and dash it’s evident they’re up for tugging and teasing at Harry Christopher’s guiding reins to celebrate a Hodie rodeo choral sleigh-ride across the ...

By PAUL COUCH Some of the biggest stars of London’s West End have re-recorded Jacques Brel’s If We Only Have Love in aid of Childline as the service celebrates its 30th anniversary. Among the array of West End stars singing on the release are Daniel Boys (The Boys in the Band, Spamalot) r (Phantom of The Opera); Cassidy Janson (Beautiful, The Carole King ...

Reviewer:Dave Cunningham Thanks to the popularity of TV talent shows like The Naked Choir, audiences have an awareness of the formula for choirs. This requires that voices alone generate all sounds, including those usually produced by instruments,and that the choir’s songs be mainly those with which an audience is already familiar rather than original compositions. Support artist Jay Power begins ...