Newbury Weekly News, February 9th 2006
A romp through Orff
Pangbourne Choral Society at the
on Sunday, February 5th 2006
If there was ever any
doubt that a combination of stylish Mozart and rumbustious
Orff would come off, purists needn't have worried, it
worked a treat!
Don Giovanni’s demonic demise was the perfect companion for the Gothic romp that is Carmina Burana and both were clearly relished by performers and audience alike.
Pangbourne Choral's tribute to the Mozart anniversary year kicked off the evening with a selection of arias and ensembles from Don Giovanni performed, by three young and able singers.
Peter Willcock gave us a mellow Leporello and even though those same purists might have enjoyed a little more anger and hysteria in.Donna Elvira's final act dinner appearance, Naomi Watson's radiant top and fearless coloratura made light work of Donna Anna’s fiendishly hard Non mi dir.
But from the start it was clear the evening belonged to baritone Julian Hubbard, using his light and flexible voice to truly act out the character of Don Giovanni and bringing the drama to life.
And also in the Carmina Burana did he relish every opportunity to bring out the intensity, the humour and heroics of the different characters. Naomi Watson seemed clearly in her element as well, reaching dizzy heights in the Dulcissime.
Darren Everhart and his forces were on top form here, the small orchestra belying its size and the choir blazing through the colourful parade of young virgins, ardent lovers, roasting swans (the very convincing WilIiam Bulteel) and lamenting abbots. It was great to see that the very youngest singers of the college made their worthwhile contribution as well, showing that classical music is very much alive and kicking.
This was a performance of great energy and rhythmical brilliance that sent everyone home with a smile on their face.
STEFAN HOFKES
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Reading Chronicle, February 9th 2006
Pangbourne Choral Society
IN RECENT years Pangbourne Choral Society, under their conductor Darren Everhart, has gone from strength to strength and this concert clearly demonstrated the quality and depth of singing they now achieve.
They opened the evening with a spirited performance of the overture from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, with the Philomel Orchestra providing excellent accompaniment foe excerpts from the same opera sung by the choir and guest soloists Naomi Watson (soprano), Julian Hubbard (baritone) and Peter Willcock (bass).
From Leporello’s aria Madamina, through to Giovanni’s fateful ending in hellfire in the glorious finale, we were truly entertained, not only by the quality of the singing, but also by the soloists’ reactions to the texts being sung.
The second half of the concert saw the soloists and chorus supplemented by the Pangbourne College Junior Choir, (with young William Bulteel singing the counter-tenor solo Cignus Ustus Cantat), for one of the finest performances of Carl Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana that I have heard for a long time.