20th May 2023

Wiltshire and Glos Standard
Cirencester Choral Society May 2023

Masses of Music
by Charles Woodd

Cirencester Choral Society

On a day which felt like the first of summer, Cirencester Choral Society treated a solid audience to a delightful evening of delicate floral French melodie and warm Czech spirit.

Carleton Etherington, Musical Director, regularly explores wider repertoire with the choir and the two romantic pieces in this concert reflected very different styles.

Gounod’s Mass for St. Cecilia is a gentle and delicate work, with a strong lilting sense.  The choir appeared particularly to enjoy the Credo, which really “rocked” and throughout the choir was alive to Carleton’s precise direction, delivering a beautifully nuanced performance.

Dvorak’s Mass in D is a much fuller work, with rich late-romantic textures.  This allowed the choir to indulge in more intense and full-bodied singing, suiting the forces well – I enjoyed hearing the choir at full throttle!

This was a programme that shone the light on the choir, but gloriously supported by young soloists from the Royal Academy.  Lisa Dafydd demonstrated purity and elegance, particularly well suited to the Gounod; Lucy Thalange had energy and intensity, bringing Dvorak to life; Henry Ross is a powerful and passionate tenor and the quartet was underpinned sensitively by the chocolatey richness of Johannes Moore’s baritone.  I particularly enjoyed the way they combined for the Anus Dei in the Dvorak.

Both pieces can be performed with orchestra or organ and it was lovely to hear Cirencester Parish Church’s first-class organ being put through its paces.  Charles Matthews accompanied the choir and soloists beautifully.

In a spirit of community, interval drinks provided an opportunity to raise funds for the local charity, the Church Project and the audience was pleased to hear from the Vicar that there are plans to upgrade the loo facilities in the Church – donations to both causes very welcome!

The next concert will be Bach’s wonderful Christmas Oratorio on 2nd December.