Well you have to read it Luke....such fine praise.
So I'm posting the whole thing.


Sunday, December 5, 2010

Worcester Chorus gives rich rendition of 'Messiah'


By Joyce Tamer TELEGRAM & GAZETTE REVIEWER


WORCESTER — In April 1742, a music reviewer writing about a performance of Handel's "Messiah" for the Dublin Journal stated, “Words are wanting to express the exquisite Delight it afforded the admiring crowded Audience.” The same could be said of the performance of "Messiah" given by the Worcester Chorus under the auspices of Music Worcester Saturday evening in Mechanics Hall.

In the 13 years this reviewer has listened to performances by the Worcester Chorus, never has the group sounded as polished and professional as it did Saturday. The quality of sound through all the voice parts was rich and relaxed, with beautifully shaped vowel sounds and exquisite phrasing. In the polyphonic sections, each vocal part was well-delineated, creating a clear and transparent texture, and in the unison or homophonic parts of the work the chorus sang with a beautiful blend of voices.

Director Christopher Shepard set a brisk pace in the opening Sinfonia and maintained the energetic and buoyant character throughout. The chorus, too, retained its intensity and focus and responded to Shepard's conducting with sensitivity. The balance between the orchestra, soloists and chorus was excellent and it is a tribute to all the performers involved in Saturday's performance that a work so familiar sounded so fresh and interesting.

The small orchestra, assembled especially for this concert, accompanied capably for an ensemble that is not accustomed to playing together, though there were some problems with intonation in the violins.

Michelle Graveline performed admirably on both the harpsichord and organ, and Jonathan Clark's trumpet playing was outstanding, especially in the Air, “The trumpet shall sound ... ”

The choruses in "Messiah" are interspersed with many recitatives and arias and these were capably handled by the evening's soloists.

Gina Beck conveyed the wide range of emotions required throughout the oratorio. Her clear, bright soprano voice, filled with radiant joy, was especially touching in the three recitatives in Part One in which the angels appear to the shepherds. Krista River possesses a lovely mezzo-soprano voice which she uses to great effect. However, it seemed that the parts, which Handel wrote interchangeably for contralto or countertenor, were a little low for her range and required a heavier tone quality. The two male soloists were outstanding. Charles Blandy possesses a clear, focused, gorgeous tenor voice which he uses with keen intelligence and musicianship. His stunning rendition of the opening recitative, “Comfort ye ... " set the tone for the rest of the evening. Robert Honeysucker's rich bass voice and commanding presence in all of his arias and recitatives, but especially in the final Resurrection recitative and aria in Part Three, were riveting and revelatory.

The audience for this concert was one of the quietest and most attentive groups encountered at Mechanics Hall. They showed their appreciation with a lengthy standing ovation, which brought the soloists and Shepard back for several bows. Graciously responding to the prolonged applause, Shepard turned to the orchestra to signal an encore and invited the audience to join in if they knew the tune. And so we all lustily - and quite capably - sang a repeat of the Hallelujah chorus. It was a wonderful evening.




You have a right to feel very proud Wofa but I still say...pity you were not aloud to make/broadcast any recordings.