Review published in Somerset County Gazette 13th May 2005

Handel     Dixit Dominus

Bach        Orchestral Suite no 3

Bach        Magnificat in D

Musical Director   Paul Ellis

Authentically Brilliant

It might seem strange to start a review of a choral concert by talking about the orchestra, but the band which played under the baton of Paul Ellis, for Taunton Camerata in St. Mary's last Saturday, was very special.  A wonderful array of 18th century authentic instruments produced a sound totally suited to the works being performed.  The strings were agile, the high brass thrilling and the overall sound texture was crystal clear.

The concert opened with Bach's Third Orchestral Suite, the one containing the famous "Air on the G String" (think of cigars) as its 2nd movement.  This performance was beautifully phrased, the dance rhythms of the Gavottes, Bouree and Gigue full of bounce and verve.  A revelatory performance, and one which gave us a good idea of how Bach himself would have heard it.

Then followed Handel's "Dixit Dominus" (1707) an amazingly mature work for a 22-year old composer.  The choir's handling of the rapidly repeated short phrases which characterise much of this piece was very good, and they gave a performance of  great clarity and precision, while maintaining a good sense of musical 'line'.  Sarah Joskey, the alto soloist, sang clearly with fine enunciation.  The timbre of her voice was absolutely right, resembling at times that of a male alto, a sound very appropriate to the piece and its period.  Catherine Bass was also in good voice for the soprano arias; her highest notes could have been a little warmer, but her breath control and phrasing were particularly fine especially in the Gloria.

The stars of this were the chorus and the orchestra - the combined sound was well balanced and firmly controlled by Paul, and a lapse of pitch by the sopranos towards the end was surely due to tiredness, so intense was the effort.

After the interval Bach's glorious Magnificat in D was the offering.  Written in 1723 and arranged in its present form in 1732,  it is an amazingly rich work.  The opening sound from the orchestra and chorus was thrilling and very clear.  Soprano Josie Carpenter sang well in the Et exsultavit but her phrasing was a little uneven.  The Quia Respexit produced a lovely pairing of soprano and oboe solos, Catherine Bass and Vanessa Hammond exchanging phrases with great beauty.  The chorus's attack and precision were good throughout, especially in the Omnes Generationes and the Fecit Potentiam, although the latter had a slightly shaky first two bars. 

Bach did not give the most rewarding music to the tenor or the bass, but Glyn Jones and Chris Moorsom acquitted themselves well.  The flute duet opening to the Esurientes was beautifully played by Jonathan Morgan and Iva Junkova and was finely complemented by Sarah Joskey's alto singing.  Only the Suscepit Israel was slightly disappointing - the three female voices remained a little too separated, and a warmer blend would have been nicer.

The evening finished well, the chorus and orchestra pulling out all the stops for a thrilling climax.  This Taunton Camerata concert was a worthy effort, and we look forward to their future concerts.  Well done everybody.

Harold W. Mead