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REVIEW: Steve Crowther’s verdict on York Musical Society Orchestra and Chorus, York Barbican, March 23

Bass-baritone Alex Ashworth: “Convincing sombre performance”. Picture: Debbie Scanlan

DVORAK’S Deum dispenses with the sober, contemplative settings associated with the standard Latin text in favour of optimism, of celebration.

The York Musical Society’s performance really did capture that all-important festive splendour. A forceful hello from the timpani set the mood of driving energy and melodic invention. The contrasting Sanctus featured a delightful soprano solo from Anita Watson; richly romantic and a lovely tone.

The movement returns to the energetic Allegro moderato before crashing headlong into the serious world of the Tu Rex Gloriae, Christe. Bass-baritone Alex Ashworth delivered a convincing sombre performance dripping with appropriate gravitas. Fine brass support.

To be sure, I heard the distinct Czech folk music-inspired melodies, but the overwhelming mood was of a music written to appeal to a new audience, America – upbeat vocal lines, funky rhythms and percussion. I was even reminded, particularly in the Vivace third movement, of John Adams’s Short Ride in a (spiritual) Fast Machine. Maybe.

Next up was Brahms’s terrific thank-you note to the University of Breslau (which had bestowed an honorary doctorate on the great man), the Academic Festival Overture. I love the letter of request from conductor Bernard Scholtz, which said: “Compose a fine symphony for us! But well-orchestrated…not too uniformly thick!”

Whether the conductor was referencing the orchestral texture or the academic limitations of the student faculty, remains uncertain. Anyway, back to the review.

The YMS Orchestra’s performance of the work sparkled with energy and delight – as well as displaying some considerable technical skill. They caught the humour, not a quality usually associated with the composer, particularly in his use of the popular student drinking songs. We had the hilarious buffo bassoons and a brilliantly inebriated Gaudeamus Igitur conclusion. So maybe we do have the answer to the earlier conundrum. Much credit here must go the clear direction of conductor David Pipe.

The second half of the programme was dedicated to Brahms’s magnificent Ein Deutsches Requiem. And very good it was too. The orchestra conveyed the all-important serenity of the opening scene. As ever, I was struck by Brahms’s inspired orchestration that leaves out the violins, clarinet and trumpets, thus resulting in a rich texture of divided violas and cellos.

The chorus entry was nicely balanced, singing a text that addresses the forces of life rather than death. There were some fine flute and oboe contributions and notes of optimism delivered by the harp arpeggios towards the end of the movement.

The second movement, however, is a musical meditation on mortality (“For all flesh is grass…”), patience (“unto the coming of the Lord”), the omnipresence of God and the Christian theme of hope and redemption (although there is no actual reference to Christ in the text for the Requiem).

The choir really delivered the burst of sunshine (“Aber des Herrn Wort bleibet in Ewigkeit”) – committed, good diction, and the orchestral tone painting of the pitter, patter “evening” rain drops – flute, harp and pizzicato violins – was spot on. Indeed, the gentle coda – trumpets and timpani – was quite magical.

But it is the gorgeous Bb minor (I think) opening that always does it for me. I know it is designed to be world-weary, maybe with a touch of “heavy burden” thrown in, but yet again I found it so seductive, so sensuous and the timpani and brass climax so satisfying.

The third movement saw Alex Ashworth deliver a very persuasive baritone solo, asking, or rather, imploring God to “know mine end…”.  This leads to a demanding choral fugue. I thought the choir rose to the challenge with real energy.

The chorus “Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen” was very touching, as was the gesture of returning the conductor’s baton before the movement began. Soprano Anita Watson delivered a moving solo in “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit”; so full of warmth and humanity. The closing “Ich will euch trosten, wie einen seine Mutter trostet” nearly drew a tear from my eye. Nearly.

The climatic sixth movement saw Alex Ashworth brilliantly lead the chorus through this most dramatic of movements. It culminated in a somewhat forced chorus demanding “Death where is thy sting”, followed by vigorous charging strings directly into the famous C major (the key of enlightenment) fugue.

The singing was again full-on committed, but the utterly uncompromising demands made on the singers, and the sopranos in particular, began to take their toll. They sounded strained and possibly a tad exhausted.

Bear in mind, however, that there was absolutely no support from this most unsympathetic, driest of acoustics. The closing “Selig sind die Toten” provided a welcome soft landing forboth singers and audience alike.

The YMS Orchestra were splendid throughout the programme; the clarity of direction from conductor David Pipe was always clean, musical and authoritative. But the last word must go to the YMS singers and the sopranos in particular, who gave it their all.

Review by Steve Crowther

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REVIEW: Martin Dreyer’s verdict on York Musical Society’s Mozart Requiem

Bass-baritone soloist Alex Ashworth. Picture: Debbie Scanlan

Mozart Requiem, York Musical Society, at York Minster, June 18

THERE was plenty of early evidence that the York Musical Society chorus was in excellent health despite the pandemic, in an evening mainly involving two works Mozart wrote in his last two months. Evidence, too, that its conductor David Pipe has acquired a more confident stance.

In the Requiem, heads were well out of copies for the Kyrie’s double fugue, which held no terrors for the choir, so that the succeeding Dies Irae, where the strings also had to be on their mettle, was stirringly crisp.

The soprano soloist Anita Watson had interjected her ‘Te Decet Hymnus’ very smoothly at the start and it was no surprise that she remained the most relaxed member of the solo quartet.

The bass-baritone Alex Ashworth opened the Tuba Mirum forthrightly enough but lacked real heft at the bottom of his range. Nevertheless, the quartet made a well-blended entity, all four minimising their vibrato: the Recordare was persuasively prayerful; the Benedictus almost as satisfying if more operatic.

The quartet’s inner voices were Kate Symonds-Joy and Peter Davoren. The choir meanwhile was going from strength to strength, with the sopranos benefiting from a white-hot engine-room of keen voices at its core. This paid special dividends whenever they had high entries, notably in the Domine Jesu.

There had been a notably transparent texture when sopranos and altos were duetting in the Confutatis; tenors and basses were marginally less effective, though as ‘lost souls’ they had some excuse. That, and the following Lacrimosa, which had an intoxicating lilt, proved to be the heart of the work, which ended serenely.

The orchestra had its moments too. Throughout the work, the bass line – cellos and double basses – gave the firmest possible foundation, always a bonus for a choir. The trombones had a field day, at once funereal and majestic. The violins, so often hard-worked but under-recognised in Viennese masses, were splendidly attentive, led by Nicola Rainger.

The evening had opened with Haydn’s motet Insanae et Vanae Curae, his late adaptation of a storm chorus from an oratorio on Tobias. It was good to hear its orchestral version, when so often in cathedrals it is organ-accompanied. In truth it got off to a bumpy start but was much more incisive on its repeat, with its gentler F major section bringing tears to the eyes, as it promised balm after woe.

In between the choral works, Jonathan Sage was the highly effective soloist in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto. His runs were steady, his trills tight, and he offered plenty of light and shade. Playing a basset clarinet – an A clarinet with extension that enlarges the lowest, chalumeau register – he managed a movingly intimate ending to the slow movement. He also injected little touches of ornamentation into repeats during the closing rondo, which positively danced.

David Pipe’s orchestra was with him every step of the way. Indeed, Pipe remained cool and controlled all evening.

Review by Martin Dreyer

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York Musical Society to perform at York Minster after two-year hiatus on June 18

Bass-baritone soloist Alex Ashworth: Picture: Debbie Scanlan

YORK Musical Society (YMS) will return to York Minster for the first time in two years in its summer concert on June 18.

The 150-strong choir will be joined by York Musical Society Orchestra and four soloists, together with York clarinettist Jonathan Sage, to perform a 7.30pm programme of Mozart and Haydn works.

Musical director David Pipe says: “It’s a long-awaited thrill for York Musical Society to return to York Minster – our first concert there since November 2019 – performing one of the choir’s favourite works, Mozart’s Requiem.

“It will be preceded by Joseph Haydn’s stormy Insanae Et Vanae Curae and Mozart’s much-loved Clarinet Concerto. We hope audiences will enjoy listening to this fantastic music in such an awe-inspiring setting.”

YMS’s returning soloists will be soprano Anita Watson, mezzo-soprano Kate Symonds-Joy, tenor Peter Davoren and bass-baritone Alex Ashworth, as well as Sage.

Haydn’s Insanae Et Vanae Curae is thought to be a reworking of the chorus Svanisce In Un Momento from his oratorio Il Ritorno Di Tobia, first published in 1809.

Sage’s performance of the Clarinet Concerto will be given on a basset clarinet: an extra third lower than the standard instrument and the clarinet envisaged by Mozart for this concerto.

The climax will be Mozart’s Requiem, the work he was composing at the time of his death in 1791 at the age of 35 and long regarded a masterpiece of Western classical music.

Tickets cost £25, £20, £12 or £6 (student/under-18s) on 01904 623568, at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or on the door. Admission is free for children aged under 13 if accompanied by an adult.