March 2022

Sat, 5 Mar 2022
How good to have live music coming back to Haslemere, especially with the enthusiasm shown by both choir and orchestra who performed a range of very different choral and orchestral works before a packed house, knowledgeably conducted by Musical Director, Dr James Ross.

Schubert’s Symphony No. 3 in D opened the concert with a confident, rich, full sound played with sensitivity matching the composer’s own youthful exuberance.  The Allegretto - a graceful movement enhanced by delightful woodwind playing, led to the 3rd movement: Menuetto - Trio - Menuetto, in a very distinctive minuet form; one which the brass and woodwind captured most convincingly. Finally, a tarantella-style Presto vivace finale, allowed all sections of the orchestra to show their expertise in a thrilling conclusion.   

Very different in both mood and scale, were the scenes and dances from Manuel de Falla’s ballet The Three-cornered Hat, based on a novel with a comic storyline by Pedro de Alarcón. This more challenging ‘chamber orchestra’ work has a complex interplay of instruments; played with conviction, the orchestra caught the mood expertly of boisterous rustic sounds intruding into a placid pastoral sound-world, capturing just the right spirit of the piece; of particular note being the woodwind and brass soloists.

After the interval, the second half restarted with César Frank’s Psalm 150 and it is hoped this piece will be better know after this performance. Unlike many other settings, it begins with a solemn ‘Hallelujah’ expressing humility before the Creator, before ending with a climax of praise: ‘Let everything that hath breath.’  The tuneful music allowed both choir and orchestra, (with the more complex harmonies), to show their range of skills throughout.

The Concert Hall then fell silent for a short pause, as we remembered those suffering in the conflict in the Ukraine, and who are not able to share the liberties - of which joyful, unrestricted music-making is one - which we all freely enjoy.

The concert closed with Faure’s Requiem - a well-known and much-loved work, the portrayal of the pilgrimage of a soul to the divine. Rather than trying to match the ‘grand’ sound of other requiem settings (of Verdi or Berlioz for example), this performance was entirely in accord with this more intimate scale of writing and contrasting style of the movements.  The Treble soloist, Sam O’Brien, sang with poise and clarity in the Pie Jesu, perfectly in keeping with this interpretation. The Baritone soloist (Ond?ej Soukup), matched this, not with the usual detached, formal style, but one that you could empathise with, in the soul’s heartfelt pleading for deliverance.

From the opening, the full, rich sound of the Requiem æternam commanded immediate attention, to the final angelic, transcendent In Paradisum, an unlaboured performance led us through the full range of human feelings.

Credit is also given to Ond?ej Soukup, Chorus Master, and to Clive Osgood, Assistant Chorus Master and Keyboard, who have clearly worked hard with the Chorus to develop a clear understanding of the significance of both words and music. Mention should also be made of James Ross’ comprehensive programme notes. 

All who support live music in Haslemere, will surely look forward to the next HMS Concert on Saturday, 14th May, which promises to be an enthralling Mozart evening.