{"id":1261,"date":"2018-12-08T17:26:17","date_gmt":"2018-12-08T17:26:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elyconsort.org.uk\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2019-01-07T20:46:47","modified_gmt":"2019-01-07T20:46:47","slug":"in-memoriam","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elyconsort.org.uk\/?p=1261","title":{"rendered":"In Memoriam"},"content":{"rendered":"

Date<\/strong>: Saturday 1st December, 2018
\nVenue<\/strong>: Lady Chapel, Ely Cathedral
\nProgramme<\/strong>:
\nFeaturing<\/strong>: Ely Consort, Conductor ~ Matthew Rudd, Piano ~ Charlie Penn<\/p>\n

Ely Consort is a name to be reckoned with. This must be one of the best choirs in the district. It isn\u2019t until you hear good quality music produced by an excellent choir like this that you realize what you have been missing. Director Matthew Rudd really knows how to shape and develop a beautiful, well balanced sound and how to vary the pace, rhythm and dynamics to create mesmerising effects.<\/p>\n

Russian Orthodox Church music brings to mind deep bass voices singing in open harmony. Tonight we certainly had the gorgeous deep basses and also a well produced tone in each of voice parts. With the gorgeous sound this choir produced echoing round the Lady Chapel it was easy to imagine we were transported into the depths of Russia.<\/p>\n

The theme of the evening: remembrance, commemoration and reconciliation was well reflected in the pieces. The programme was based around Rachmaninov\u2019s unaccompanied \u2018All Night Vigil\u2019.\u00a0 The powerful richness of the voices was apparent from the start. Singing in Russian, this choir\u2019s attention to detail, its expressiveness and precision were exceptional.<\/p>\n

Other works included David Bednall\u2019s \u2018To a Missing Friend and \u2018The Soldier\u2019, a delightfully refreshing \u2019Do not Stand at my Grave and Weep\u2019 by David Jepson, the tumultuous \u2018Ring out, Wild Bells\u2019 by Jonathan Dove and the first performance of a commissioned work by Sarah Quartel \u2018\u2019Hope\u2019 is the thing with feathers\u2019.<\/p>\n

Sarah\u2019s work was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening. Her charming lyrical piano accompaniment and the way she coloured the words so adorably and effectively made this piece most effective. The sense of the lightness of a fluttering bird, rising above the storms in life was never lost.<\/p>\n

Charlie Penn\u2019s accompaniments were superb. He achieved amazing effects in Jonathan Dove\u2019s \u2018Ring out, wild bells\u2019.<\/p>\n

This was indeed an excellent concert. The next events to look forward to are concert on Saturday 15th<\/sup> December at All Saints\u2019 Church in Cottenham, on Saturday 16th<\/sup> March in Ely Methodist Church and on Saturday 29th<\/sup> June in St. Mary\u2019s Church, Burwell. For more information contact info@ elyconsort.org.uk<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Review<\/strong>: Rosemary Westwell<\/em><\/p>\n

Photos<\/strong>: Rachel Barton<\/em><\/p>\n