From Ilkley Gazette 8 December 2005

Contemporary choral singing and none the worse for it. (3rd December 2005)

Peter Harrison reviews the Otley and Ilkley Choral Societies’ concert at St Margaret’s Church

Ilkley and Otley Choral Societies offered up an interesting blend of contemporary composers on Saturday.

The programme started with John Rutter’s “Magnificat” and we were not sold short of quality with a strong choir under the competent baton of Alan Horsey. Plenty of laudation was on hand in the “Magnificat”, “Fecit Potentiam” and “Gloria Patri” with effective use of dynamics in “Quia Fecit Mihi Magna”.

The highlight of the work – for me – came with “Et Misericordia” and “Esurientes” where Joanne Dexter (soprano) was able to demonstrate her remarkable skill with an easy style and beautiful interpretation in total accord with choir and Yorkshire Chamber Orchestra. I could have listened to her all night!

Ilkley Choral Society was one of the 47 choirs to commission “The Kestrel Road” – written by Peter Maxwell Davies in celebration of his 70th birthday. A brave effort but hey, a work with some fiendishly difficult sections in terms of intonation and timing. Accompanied by Alan Horsey on piano, there were times during the performance when it felt as though the choir was a tad under-rehearsed although the final three stanzas fell more comfortably on the ear and the work was justified in the programme.

Finally, Andrew Carter’s “Musick’s Jubilee” rediscovered the choir’s comfort zone.

A strong and confident performance of this delightful work made up for the hard wooden seating in St Margaret’s.

Effective offstage use of the trio in “He called the echoes” set the scene for choir and soloists to prove their worth and we were not sold short.

Laura Trayhurn (mezzo) was in complete control in “What passion cannot music raise and quell”.

Joanne Dexter performed “Song of the Lotus Eaters” with absolute mastery and yet again, the interface with choir, organ (Edward Taylor) and orchestra was well balanced.

Clever use of syncopation from all voices in the “Hallelujah” brought to a close this varied and exciting evening of quality music.

And isn’t it great that the composer, Andrew Carter, was able to join Alan Horsey on stage for the final bow.