German Requiem - Brahms - 19th March 2005

Despite the worthy celebrations throughout Wales on Saturday evening, Gwent Bach Society attracted a good audience for its concert in St Mary's Priory Church , Abergavenny . It is not surprising that the choir now enjoys such support on a regular basis because, since his appointment as conductor some three years ago, Roger Langford has changed the sound and confidence of the choir to good effect. The tentativeness in the men's voices has gone, the altos have a commendable quality of sound, and only rarely now does the occasional soprano dominate the proceedings. Above all, there is an admirable blend and balance of the voices.

All of these qualities were evident on Saturday when the choir presented two contrasting works, first Liszt's Via Crucis , followed by the German Requiem of Brahms. The former work is the composer's intense and deeply personal expression of the description of the journey of Christ carrying the Cross: the Requiem is a work of mourning and consolation for the living and, like the Via Crucis , was sung throughout with competence and conviction. In fact, it would be difficult to single out a section of either work for special praise, but it was clear that the choir probably got the most enjoyment from the tranquil How Lovely is They Dwelling Place.

Matthew Hargreaves was magnificent as the baritone soloist in both works with a most resonant purity of voice. Likewise, soprano Joyce Edwards (a member of the choir) also displayed quality and control in the Requiem as well as earning special compliments for completing her extensive solo without music.

There was no orchestra on this occasion since the composer's own piano reduction of the Requiem (the “London version”) was chosen and was performed with supreme skill by Vaughan Bennett (who also accompanied the Via Crucis ) and James Joseph, present and past accompanists to the choir, respectively.

HW

(Harold Williams, OBE, 3 The Courtyard, Plas Derwen , Abergavenny NP7 9SZ . 01873 850522)

Printed in Abergavenny Chronicle March 2005