BY RACHEL BRUERVILLE
Adelaide Philharmonia Chorus
Works by Haydn and Schubert
Elder Hall, 14 April
What’d you miss?
- A concert featuring some of the finest emerging soloists in Adelaide
- Works by Haydn and Schubert, each composed in a matter of weeks (making us feel super unproductive)
- A passionate group and ambitious program
The Adelaide Philharmonia Chorus has gained a reputation over the past 20+ years as one of South Australia’s top auditioned choirs. Experienced choral conductor Aldis Sils has musically directed the choir since 2007, and it is clear that he and the membership of more than 60 singers have an excellent rapport.
It is fantastic to see such a big group of community musicians coming together to present ambitious, large-scale concert works, such as this one did on Saturday night: Schubert’s Mass in G, and Haydn’s Nelson Mass, originally titled Missa in Angustiis (‘Mass for Troubled Times’).
The concert began with Schubert, which featured three of Adelaide’s finest emerging soloists: soprano Bethany Hill; tenor Jiacheng Ding; and bass Alex Roose. Mass in G was composed by then-18-year-old Schubert in 1815, and was apparently written in a period of just one week (Schubert: way to make us all feel unproductive!). I would describe the score as nothing revolutionary, but beautiful in its simplicity and clarity of text setting.
As the chorus opened with the first gentle statement of Kyrie eleison, it seemed the singers were quite nervous. It was the first concert of the year, which had been heavily advertised as: HAYDN NELSON MASS, so perhaps the Schubert did not get quite as much attention in rehearsal. Nevertheless, the singers persisted and did an impressive job. From Bethany Hill’s first solo statement of Christe eleison, my nerves began to fade. Her confident stage presence and powerful-yet-sensitive solos throughout the mass made us all feel at ease. Bethany’s duets with Alex Roose in the Gloria were a highlight: their phrasing perfectly matched, their tone perfectly blended, and their ensemble with pianist Nerissa Pearce to be commended.
We only heard Jiacheng Ding at one point during this first half: in the Benedictus trio with Bethany and Alex. Sadly, he got a bit lost in the mix, but he certainly made us look forward to hearing more tenor solos in the second half. At the Agnus Dei, the chorus were at their most confident, with Bethany and Alex’s solo verses giving excellent support to this final movement. As the final, gentle chorus statement of Dona nobis pacem came to an end, we went into the interval feeling calm, while anticipating a big, energetic second half.
As stated in the program note, Haydn’s Nelson Mass is “notable for the ‘fireworks’ demanded of the soprano soloist”. Bethany didn’t disappoint! Her effortlessly agile coloratura was another one of my highlights. The Haydn also featured Charlotte Kelso singing the alto solos, of which sadly, there weren’t many.– From her first solo phrase in the Gloria, I wanted to hear more, more, more of her beautiful mezzo tone.
According to the dates recorded on Haydn’s autograph score, he also wrote this whole work in a ridiculously short time: eight weeks. Haydn and Schubert: both making us all feel unproductive since the 18th-19th centuries. The original score of this mass included strings, which would have been lovely to have, however this version for chorus, soloists, piano, three trumpets and timpani worked surprisingly well.
From the first powerful phrase of the Kyrie, trumpeters Carly Cameron, Robin Finlay, David Khafagi, and timpanist Andrew Weiring, along with Nerissa Pearce at the piano, provided a solid foundation of superb chamber ensemble skills to give unwavering support to the singers. Everyone lifted in this second half, and it was fantastic to see.
Speaking of superb chamber ensemble skills, our SATB soloists could have presented a whole other set of quartet/trio/duet/solo works within the concert, and I’m sure the audience would have been very happy! Everything they did in the Haydn mass was a delight to listen to: beautiful, sensitive, musical singing; whether quartet/trio/duet/solo sections. Each soloist demonstrated a versatile dynamic range and vocal range; particularly Alex Roose’s Qui Tollis solo, swapping from a high baritone range to rich, lower bass notes with ease.
Overall, it was clear to me that the chorus was much more comfortable performing the Haydn. This may indeed have been because this larger work of the program had more rehearsal time devoted to it; or that the stronger foundation of piano, trumpets, and timpani ensured the voices were more supported and less exposed than in the Schubert; or that the chorus simply enjoyed singing Haydn more than Schubert. It certainly seemed that they were enjoying themselves more in the second half, with many more outward smiles on singers’ faces. This came across in the sound they made, too; generally, the Haydn was much more together.
APC (and audiences!) has two more concerts to look forward to in 2018: next, on 29 July – Music by Karl Jenkins; and finally, on 17 November – Sounds of Latvia: A concert celebrating Latvia, 100 years since independence.
I look forward to following this passionate group of community musicians in the coming years, and hope they continue to present ambitious programs, engage local musicians, and above all, enjoy what they do.
Image supplied.
