Christmas concert, 11 December 2022 – review by Helen Brind, choral director, singing teacher and music tutor
The beautiful parish church of St Michael the Archangel was the setting for Lyme Bay Chorale’s Christmas concert – a programme of Baroque music, culminating in Haydn’s Nelson Mass, which provided moments of solemnity, reflection, hope and joy.
The concert opened with Purcell’s ‘Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary’, a series of three anthems framed by movements for brass, conducted by Nicholas Brown with Alex Davies playing chamber organ. The positioning of the brass behind the choir, and a small ensemble of singers in the gallery, set a great atmosphere for this very dignified opening to the concert. The quality of the choir and soloists was instantly heard, with skilful blending of tone throughout and some particularly beautiful building of vocal textures in the rendition of ‘In the Midst of Life.’
Lyme Bay Chorale’s patron and soprano soloist, Philippa Hyde, was ill and unable to attend. Instead of the next programmed solo item, we were treated to a selection from Handel’s Messiah featuring soloists Mark Hounsell (tenor) and Charlie Murray (bass), conducted by Paul Esswood. The overture to The Messiah opened the section and I was instantly impressed by the fine instrumental ensemble. Mark Hounsell, with secure and unforced delivery, sang ‘Comfort Ye My People’ and ‘Every Valley Shall be Exalted’, impressing in the latter with virtuosic runs and control of dynamics, the orchestra accompanying with a light and sparkling effect. ‘The Trumpet Shall Sound’ was sung by Charlie Murray with a confident, rich tone, and trumpeter Dominic Hammett played with an ease that belied the difficulty of this wonderful piece – an excellent rendition. This was a lovely segment and all credit to the performers and directors for providing this alternative item at short notice. One would not have known it was not planned.
To finish the first half, before seasonal refreshments were served in the interval, we were treated to one of Handel’s Coronation Anthems – ‘The King Shall Rejoice’ – conducted by Alex Davies. Again, a beautifully controlled performance of this well-known piece, with some excellent entries from the choir, particularly the tenors and basses. The second half opened with another piece by Handel featuring the tenor and soprano soloists. At short notice, Heather Wardle had very kindly agreed to stand in for Philippa Hyde and take on the role of soprano soloist throughout the programme. In ‘As Steals the Morn’, her voice was gentle and pure, with impeccable clarity and tuning. Matched by Mark Hounsell’s calm and reflective tenor voice, this was indeed an exquisite piece.
Haydn’s Nelson Mass gave the choir, orchestra and soloists ample opportunity to demonstrate their skills. Alex Davies’s direction drew effective contrasts in timbre and dynamic shading from his singers, from an excellent opening in the ‘Kyrie’ to the energetic ‘Dona Nobis Pacem’, which was a great finale to the concert. Heather Wardle showed impressive flexibility in the mass, which is very demanding of the soprano soloist. She moved between coloratura soloistic passages and solemn slower sections with ease. Charlie Murray’s rich, intense vocal quality gave particularly appropriate gravitas to the ‘Qui Tollis’ section of the ‘Gloria’ and all the soloists (and the trio of alto choral singers who sang the alto solo lines) are to be congratulated on fine performances throughout this work and indeed the entire programme.
This was a delightful and impressive concert from this well-trained choral group, highly talented soloists and instrumentalists. Despite several participants being unable to attend owing to illness, the professionalism with which the concert was delivered gave the very appreciative audience no indication of problems in this area and demonstrated a great sense of teamwork and goodwill which was genuinely heart-warming. Congratulations to Alex Davies and the Lyme Bay Chorale for a fine concert indeed.
Spring concert, 3 April 2022 – review by John Seabrook
Lyme Bay Chorale’s concert last Sunday in St Michael’s Church was something special – Brahms’s Requiem, beautifully performed under the direction of Alex Davies, with sensitive accompaniment from pianists Andrew Millington and Aleks Szram. This piano-duet version is Brahms’s own, and the clarity of this accompaniment complemented perfectly the rich blended sound of the choir. The singing was notable for expression and dynamic contrasts, with clear and precise diction. (Brahms chose biblical texts in the vernacular, rather than the Latin requiem mass, so here they were sung in English, in a translation that matched the rhythm of Luther’s German.) “How lovely are all thy dwellings fair” was particularly beautiful. Throughout, the clear warm tone of the sopranos was matched by a confident tenor section handling the high passages and the leads in the fugues very effectively, altos whose round tone could cut through the texture to great effect, and basses who gave a rich depth to the low passages. There was lovely quiet singing. Soprano soloist Chloe Stratta brought a beautiful tone and presence to “Ye now are sorrowful” and baritone Oliver Parker delivered “Lord, make me to know” with a lovely smoothness of tone.
This powerful and moving performance prompted reflection both on a personal level and in the light of events in Ukraine, remembered in a moment of silence at the start (after a lovely performance by Aleks Szram of Robert Schumann’s Novellette op. 21 no. 1). The late afternoon sunshine through the windows enhanced the setting, and Lyme’s war memorial window, with wounded soldiers passing a Calvary in a ruined town, had a poignant immediacy. We are fortunate in Lyme to have concerts and a choir of this quality, and it was good to see a range of ages among the singers, and a good audience. Well done to Alex Davies and to everyone involved.
Christmas concert, 12 December 2021 (pictured above) – review by Richard Godfrey
Amid scary warnings of a tsunami of the Omicron Covid variant, it was wonderful that Alex Davies and the Lyme Bay Chorale (LBC) were able to go ahead with a joyful celebration of Christmas in Lyme Regis Parish Church last Sunday. The event had been cancelled in 2020, making the return this year doubly welcome, and the concert was dedicated to the memory of Ruth Taylor, who founded LBC in 2000.
From the choir’s first entry in Handel’s Zadok the Priest, it was clear that LBC has retained its excellence: strong clear diction, perfect tuning, and balance (even with some members missing because they were unwell). Zadok must be one of the most frequently performed choral pieces, but it never loses its impact and grandeur. After a delightful organ interlude – of which more later – the choir presented Hadyn’s Missa Sancti Nicolai, an appropriate choice to celebrate the recent feast of St Nicholas (6 December). Here the programme notes were very helpful in explaining the concise nature of this mass, with each section lasting no more than a few minutes, and sometimes the words overlapping among the singers. The music itself includes some vivid word painting, especially in the Credo where the general feeling of excitement and joy gives way to a quiet, almost sobbing style for the Crucifixion. The LBC singers coped splendidly with sometimes very high notes, especially in the soprano line, and the tempi chosen by Alex Davies always seem exactly right.
After the interval the choir presented two beautiful works of a quieter, more meditative nature, Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine and Brahms’s Geistliches Lied. In both there were lovely moments, especially the pianissimo ending of the Cantique, and a magnificent swelling crescendo and decrescendo in the Brahms. There were also some delightful Christmas treats: a splendid Good King Wenceslas (aka Joss Kent) complete with meteorological sound effects; the touching Watts’ Cradle Hymn; and a Ding! Dong! Merrily on High of utmost rhythmic excitement. There were some lusty audience-participation favourites, too, and it was interesting to see a variety of interpretations of the current confusing guidelines on mask wearing when singing, ranging from full exposure, through timid slight lowering, to full cover!
Last but by no means least, I must pay tribute to Andrew Millington’s absolutely superb contribution at the organ throughout the whole concert. Every item was accompanied in perfect synchrony with the conductor, using wonderful colour and employing dazzling technique to cover rapid passage-work in many pieces, especially the Haydn mass. There were also two attractive short solo pieces, one a Daquin Noël showing off the many reedy colours available in the Škrabl organ, and the other Leroy Anderson’s famous Sleigh Ride. This showed that even the most serious and talented musicians can let their hair down – and the audience responded with the biggest cheer of the whole concert!
Christmas concert, 9 December 2018 – review by Richard Godfrey
The Lyme Bay Chorale, under the direction of Alex Davies, magnificently captured the magic of Christmas in a beautifully programmed concert. The singers were at their best, with the lovely solo voice of Chloe Stratta soaring above them in many of the pieces. Andrew Millington provided wonderful accompaniments, extracting a kaleidoscope of colour from the great Škrabl organ. A superbly decorated large Christmas tree dominated the south aisle. But for the capacity audience it must have been the contribution of the St Michael’s Children’s Choir that best captured the spirit of the occasion, with 14 children, 6 to 13 years old and drawn from 5 local schools. They were clearly extremely well trained, watching the conductor carefully and singing with gusto.
From the musical point of view, there was a nice balance of serious and not-so-serious items, and a good number of traditional carols for the audience to sing. Poulenc’s Gloria (1959) was a striking start, with its extreme contrasts in dynamics, tight rhythms, and exciting fanfare-like organ contributions – plus harmonies that make Poulenc one of those composers instantly recognisable from a single chord or two. The other major contribution from the choir was Christus Natus Est by Cecilia McDowall, written in 2003. This was an imaginative choice, serious music with modern and intriguing backings to carols such as Personent Hodie and Infant Holy. The very quiet sections, with intricate organ accompaniments, were excellently performed.
Among the less serious items, Good King Wenceslas, as arranged by Paul Halley (2003), must take first prize. The funky harmonies, key shifts, storm effects, stumbling page, and splendid King will live in our memories. The presentation of a magnificent golden crown (made, I believe, by Alex Davies’s daughter Cecilia) to King Wenceslas (sung by Joss Kent) was a moment we shall all treasure.
Review by Barry Gibbs, Wessex area secretary, Royal School of Church Music
A large audience at the Lyme Bay Chorale’s Christmas concert in St Michael’s Parish Church warmly responded to a balanced seasonal programme that included some audience carols.
The main piece in the first half was Francis Poulenc’s Gloria. Under director Alex Davies’s baton the choir produced clear diction, rhythmic integrity and a wide range of dynamics demanded by the composition. The result was moments of dramatic intensity. In the third movement, ‘Domine Deus’ the local soprano soloist Chloe Stratta joined the piece. The clarity and purity of her beautiful voice in soaring melody was an atmospheric contrast to some of the Gloria’s more playful sections.
St Michael’s Children’s Choir joined the concert for Paul Halley’s amusing setting of ‘Good King Wenceslas’. Theirs was an assured and musical performance, with the young eyes keenly on the director’s baton. Four of the choir took the parts of the pages, with baritone Joss Kent from the chorale a majestic King. At the end he was rewarded with a paper crown presented by the children.
In the second half of the programme the consistent good form continued in another Halley composition ‘Infinite Light’ and a setting of ‘Cradle Hymn’ by Isaac Watts. Then the chorale, children’s choir and Chloe Stratta joined forces for Christus Natus Est by Cecilia McDowall. Although the varied movements with organ interludes could have tripped up the mixed experience of the singers, long applause from the audience was a clear indication that this was far from the case. Worthy of note was the final note from the sopranos.
A rousing arrangement of ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High’ by Mack Wilberg brought the evening to a close, with the children’s choir showing remarkable discipline and accuracy with some difficult timing in the last verse.
Andrew Millington’s accompaniment on the organ was sympathetic and, where appropriate, virtuoso.
Lyme Regis is fortunate to have in the Lyme Bay Chorale such a group of talented singers.
Christmas concert, 3 December 2017 – review by Richard Godfrey
There was standing room only for the Lyme Bay Chorale’s Christmas concert in St Michael’s Church last Sunday afternoon, directed by Alex Davies. Rather than a hotchpotch of seasonal pieces, the programme consisted of just three substantial major works. The choir was joined by a small number of professional soloists and instrumentalists, and the performance was of the highest standard. There was also the happy announcement that two very distinguished musicians have agreed to become the choir’s patrons – Philippa Hyde (soprano) and Paul Esswood (countertenor).
On the first Sunday in Advent, there could have no more appropriate choice to begin the concert than Bach’s great setting of Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme from Cantata 140. Alex Davies set exactly the right tempo for this measured unfolding of the text, sung in long phrases above a lilting and mesmeric accompaniment, which hardly changes in character throughout the eight minutes of the piece. The choir immediately showed how good it has become, with excellent balance, clarity and wide dynamic range. There was also fine continuo playing, which was to be major feature of the whole concert.
Next was Vivaldi’s Dixit Dominus, a work with an extraordinary history recounted in the well-written programme notes. It had been wrongly attributed to another Venetian composer, and was only recognised as being by Vivaldi in the 1920s. It has nine sections, each devoted to a verse of Psalm 110 (incidentally, some of the words are decidedly disturbing, dealing with dead bodies of the heathen being piled up in public places). Vivaldi employs a mixture of full chorus sections interspersed with solos. Chloe Stratta, in beautiful voice, sang the first solo. Philippa Hyde then joined her in a duet, with their two voices blending in a perfect match. And so it continued, with further assured solos from Julie De’Ath Lancaster, Nicholas Hawker and David Fouracre. The work finishes with a splendid Gloria in fugal style, which brought the first half of this splendid concert to a grand close.
After a short interval the internationally famous countertenor Paul Esswood gave a short speech in which he warmly congratulated the Lyme Bay Chorale on their singing. He told us something of his professional work, then apologised for having a cold and being unable to sing his scheduled pieces. But luckily there were two pieces planned for soprano solo, and these were marvellously performed by Philippa Hyde, accompanied by Peter Lea-Cox. The second, Handel’s famous Let the bright Seraphim, was directed by Paul Esswood and included a splendid part for solo trumpet played by Dom Hammett, a student at the Royal Academy of Music. The imitative moments between soprano and trumpet will remain in everyone’s memory of this truly outstanding performance.
The concert concluded with Bach’s Magnificat, one of the pinnacles of the choral repertoire. The 12 movements included beautiful solos, including some for the orchestral instruments, and magnificent full choruses, complete with timpani and trumpets. Alex Davies did a wonderful job in judging the mood and tempo of each section. Apart from his great musicianship, he deserves praise for assembling such an excellent group of players to accompany the choir, and for arranging them imaginatively in the space available. Special mention must be made of the continuo players (Peter Lea-Cox, harpsichord; Peter Parshall, organ; Arturo Serna, cello; and Imogen Fernando, bass) for their accurate and imaginative accompaniment, and to the three trumpets whose ringing tone pealed out from the chancel at many thrilling moments.