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Carmina Burana

The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Sunday 29 April 2007

Simon Keenlyside baritone

Amy Freston soprano

Barry Banks tenor

Altrincham Choral Society

Blackburn Music Society

Keighley Vocal Union

Nelson Arion Male Voice Choir Salford Choral Society

Trebles of Oldham Hulme Grammar School for Boys Choir

Orchestra of the North

Leader Andrew Orton

Conductor Dr James Eastham

In Celebration of the Salford Choral Society's 60th year and 25 years under the baton of Dr James Eastham

Wagner: The Mastersingers of Nuremberg - Overture

Wagner: The Mastersingers of Nuremberg - Wach Auf Chorus

Mozart: The Magic flute - The Birdcatcher's Song

Parry: I was Glad

Interval

Orff: Carmina Burana

“Simon Keenlyside, hailed as the greatest lyric baritone of his generation, joins over 350 voices from leading choirs of the region in Carl Orff’s dramatic cantata Carmina Burana, celebrating the joys of love, drink and the pleasures of life! The programme also includes Papageno's Song from The Magic Flute, the role that has won Simon international acclaim. What better way could there be for Salford Choral Society to commemorate 60 years of music making and 25 years under the baton of Dr James Eastham than with this exciting performance with friends from around the region.”

Salford Choral Society is one of the North West's leading choirs, with members drawn from all over Greater Manchester. New members with enthusiasm and commitment are always welcome. Rehearsals are on Wednesdays at 7.30pm at St Philip's Church, St Philip's Place, off Chapel Street, Salford. Come along and meet us or contact Sheila Dingwall on 0161-2830622 or sheiladinqwal/@tiscali.co.uk for further details. www.salfordchoral.org.uk

What the critics say

Robert Beale for Manchester Evening News, 30 April 2007

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/classical_and_opera/s/.html

Salford Choral Society celebrated 25 years of James Eastham’s conductorship at the Bridgewater Hall, with a combined chorus of 300 (Altrincham Choral Society, Blackburn Music Society, Keighley Vocal Union, Nelson Arion Male Voice Choir and boys from Oldham Hulme Grammar School took part as well) and a full house.

The “Orchestra of the North”, led by Andrew Orton, made a tremendous start with their account of the overture to Wagner’s The Mastersingers – illuminating, because of limited string forces, of the plethora of wind melodies in the writing – and its conclusion was majestic indeed in Dr Eastham’s reading. The chorus followed with the Awake! chorus and also sang Parry’s I Was Glad.

The solo star of the night was Manchester-trained international baritone Simon Keenlyside, beginning with the Birdcatcher’s Song from The Magic Flute, in which a touch of I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue seemed to have invaded proceedings, as he rendered the syrinx notes on what sounded very like a swanee whistle.
He even mastered triple-tonguing on it by the time he’d finished.

The main event was Carol Orff’s Carmina Burana, which was as much fun as I’ve ever heard it.

The chorus entered into its celebration of all things earthy with enthusiasm, and the soloists each had a memorable contribution to make: Keenlyside with his heartfelt rendering of the joys of the tavern, tenor Barry Banks with surely the most succulent account of the song of the roasted swan ever heard – and soprano Amy Freston with a ravishingly beautiful rendering of the song of the yielding virgin. As the strings bathed her voice in a haze of muted sound, her pure intonation and ivory tone shone like a naughty deed in a goodly world.

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