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Vaughan Williams
Five Mystical Songs, The Lark Ascending &
Dona Nobis Pacem
Saturday 21st June 2008
Review:
York Musical Society ****
By
David Denton
In
marking the 50th anniversary of Vaughan Williams's death, musical
commentators are belatedly acknowledging that he was the nation's most
important and complete composer working in the 20th century.
His
use of the human voice was particularly compelling, the York Musical
Society selecting two of his most potent choral works, the Five Mystical
Songs and Dona Nobis Pacem.
With a wide dynamic range, a nicely focused tone and a clarity of diction
the baritone soloist, Michael Bundy, perfectly captures the highly
contrasting moods of the five songs.
Written in the years leading up to the Second World War, the composer's
plea for peace in the Dona Nobis still sends a chill through us as he
launches into Walt Whitman's poem Beat! beat! drums!.
The Society's orchestra captured the moment, and throughout the score, the
floated sounds of the soprano, Lorna Anderson, spoke of our prayers.
Numerically reduced and now realistically balanced, the chorus have never
sounded in such good voice, a regenerated Philip Moore pushing his tempos
forward with urgency in his highly detailed conducting.
Lorraine McAslan, surely today's most outstanding UK violinist, gave a
serene and gently introspective account of The Lark Ascending that was
utterly beautiful, her 17th century violin probably never having sung more
sweetly than in her hands.
Source: www.yorkshirepost.co.uk
Reprinted by kind permission of the Yorkshire
Post Newspaper
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