Reviews Saturday 9th May 2009 Haydn Nelson Mass Tiverton Concert a Family Affair There's a lot to be said for keeping things in the family. This was the policy taken very successfully by East Devon Choral Society's conductor Andrew Daldorph at their concert in St. Paul's Church Tiverton, Devon, on 9th May. Not only was the soprano soloist his youngest sister, Amy, but the counter-tenor soloist was her fiancé, Thomas Jackman. The trio sections of the first piece, Purcell's Rejoice in the Lord Alway, were delivered with subtlety and style by Thomas and the tenor and bass soloists, Steven Philips and Nicholas Merryweather, whilst the choir responded to their interpretation with light and rhythmic interjections. Thomas' ornamentations were especially pleasing, and very much set the precedent for a concert full of stylistic musicianship. The Chandos Anthem, O Praise the Lord with one Consent by Handel followed the Purcell. Despite being a fairly large choir - on this occasion there were around 70 singers - EDCS matched the authentic baroque interpretation of the orchestra, giving a bouncy and joyous performance. The second half was Haydn's great Nelson Mass, and it was here that Amy Daldorph really shone. It is rare to hear a soprano who can soar above a full choral and orchestral sound without either using distracting vibrato or compromising her tuning. Although based in London, Amy is a regular visitor to Devon, and if you missed her on 9th May, I would urge you to come an hear her next South West performance, which will be in Exeter Cathedral on 31st October in her brother's oratorio 'Songs of Hope and Creation'. As aways, EDCS presented a concert that was polished, of high quality, and above all, enjoyable. You can hear them next on 11th July in St. George's Church, Tiverton, when a programme of Rutter and songs set by George Shearing will be on offer. Review by Christopher Lee Saturday 15th November 2008 Brahms German Requiem Another Concert success for EDCS Never let it be said that you do not get good value from an East Devon Choral Society concert. The choir's performance on Saturday 15th November in St. Paul's Church, Tiverton, not only included the wonderful Brahms German Requiem but also Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs, I Was Glad by Parry and Nimrod. It was the quality, rather than the quantity, of music that the audience will remember though. The choir continues to rise to the challenges set by their conductor, Andrew Daldorph. Saturday's programme demanded exuberance and stamina from the chorus, which they maintained to the end. The full orchestra ably supported the choir, as well as giving a moving and polished performance of Nimrod, at this time of Remembrance. Baritone soloist in both the Brahms and the Vaughan Williams was Johnny Hurford, a young man at the beginning of what will surely be a distinguished musical career. The Five Mystical Songs were truly given a sense of magic by his performance - the gentleness and joy of the music being fully communicated to the audience. Only one movement in the Brahm's features a soprano solo, which on Saturday was provided by Christine Marsden, who also gave a sensitive and well-considered performance. After such a demanding concert, you might expect East Devon Choral Society to rest and reflect on their achievements. Not so, as their next performance is only a month away. Joining forces with Two Moors Primary School, Christmas Brass and organist Andrew Downton, the choir's Christmas Concert will be taking place on Wednesday 17th December at 7pm in St. Peter's Church, Tiverton. Tickets £6 (£1 for children under 16) available from choir members or at door. By Christopher Lee The following letter appeared in the Tiverton Gazette on 25th November 2008 ______________________________________________ CHORAL SOCIETY ON GREAT FORM. I enjoyed a musical evening on Saturday at St. Paul's Church, Tiverton. East Devon Choral Society with Andrew Daldorph conducting and a full orchestra, performed Vaughan Williams' Five Mystical Songs and Brahms' German Requiem. The Choral Society work so hard and are a joy to listen to and I recommend them to you. They have a couple more dates coming up - a Christmas Concert at St. Peter's Church on Wednesday, December 17th at 7 pm when they will be joined by pupils from Two Moors Primary School, and Saturday May 9th 2009 again at St. Pauls. Cllr. Margaret Squires Chairman, Mid Devon District Council. Saturday 10th May 2008 Andrew Daldorph : Songs of Hope and Creation for soprano, tenor, chorus and orchestra First performance of a new and interesting modern oratorio Saturday saw the East Devon Choral Society perform the world première of Songs of Hope and Creation, written and conducted by Andrew Daldorph. May 10th will now be imprinted on the minds of all who attended this performance as a date they will always remember. How privileged we were - and I truly mean that, and speak on behalf of everyone there. It was an amazing evening unlike anyone has experienced before, and it all can be attributed to Andrew Daldorph, who has spent the last 18 months of his 'spare' time composing this truly enlightened oratorio. We all knew it would be something special, but no-one realised until it all came together on May 10th for the first time, how powerful, sensitive and thought-provoking it would be. The work is the story of Hope and Creation from the cradle to the grave. The Lord's Prayer, Nunc Dimittis and the words of the Remembrance Service, together with Andrew's own thoughts, words and his special view of life were all set to his most individual style of music. Amy Daldorph and Nicholas Yates were the acclaimed soloists who complimented the choir, together with the accomplished orchestra and particularly the soloists, both on saxophone and clarinet, Chris Gradwell and Andrew Wilson. The evening was definitely a journey for us all, and like all journeys, you never knew what was ahead, with classical, jazz and gospel styles all inter-woven. The choir's enthusiasm for the work was evident in their performance, with the jazz elements being clearly enjoyed and the more sensitive moments being acknowledged with musicianship of a level rarely seen in an amateur choir. A very moving standing ovation celebrated the achievement of both Andrew and the other performers at the end of the concert, with many of those on stage and in the audience being visibly moved by the emotional and spiritual dimensions of the piece. The most poignant part of the evening was when Andrew Daldorph invited the choir and orchestra to stand for the second time to take the applause and they all remained sitting, in acknowledgement that it was the conductor/composer's night. Songs of Hope and Creation is destined for great things, but we were the lucky ones to have heard it first. The following letter appeared in the Tiverton Gazette on 20th May 2008 ______________________________________________ Choir showed great talent I attended the East Devon Choral Society's performance on Saturday May 10th at St. George's Church, Tiverton. It was the premiere performance of Songs of Hope and Creation, composed and conducted by Andrew Daldorph, and it was truly an inspirational performance and it is lovely to think we have such talent within Mid Devon. A collection of anthems and instrumental performances, the work was based on questions of life and death, the natural environment and the seasons. It was a representation of the Christian faith and appeared to feature so many life situations, from the wonder of birth right through to future hope. It was lovely to listen to the instrumental music - one could feel the natural environment surging through. The anthems were clear and the singers obviously enjoyed and knew their parts well. Soloists Amy Daldorph (soprano) and Nicholas Yates (tenor) both made the performances come to life. I look forward to hearing that Songs of Hope and Creation goes on to further performances far and wide. I will also look forward to hearing East Devon Choral Society in future performances. (signed) Cllr. Margaret Squires. (Chairman Mid Devon District Council)