review of the 2013 St Cecilia Concerts - Shrewsbury School

St Cecilia Concerts 2013 – a review by Martin KnoxAt first sight the programme for this year’s autumn extravaganza seemed to contain more thancould possibly be prepared in time, but from the first bars of the Beethoven Piano Concerto No 3, itwas evident that the Symphony Orchestra was in top form. A rich and unified exposition was aprelude to a concert full of good things, triumphantly dispelling doubt. The soloist in the concerto,George Fowler, has an impressively varied CV and his musicianship was apparent in the best of hisplaying, notably in his sensitive transitions from loud to soft. There was much to commend in this,his first appearance as a concerto soloist.The trumpet concerto by Alexander Aratiunian makes huge demands on the technique of the soloist,to which Harry Sargeant proved flamboyantly equal. This was a superlative offering, again givenconfident accompaniment. Harry re-appeared later in the evening to lead the cello section. Howdoes he do it?Already impressive in the concertos, the orchestra scaled new heights in the last movement fromShostakovich’s fifth symphony. The expertise of soloists in the wind sections is already familiar, butthe power and tone of the strings surpassed anything I have heard at the School, and John Mooremust have been as thrilled by the response of his players as we were by his fiery interpretation.It would be easy for Maria McKenzie to set the pulse racing and the feet tapping with her windensemble, but in choosing the Jazz Funeral as the first of two items, she challenged the soloistswithin the group to create a mournful mood before a lively second section. The effect was bothsubtle and successful. The band goes from strength to strength.After the interval, Dympna Nightingale’s Chamber Choir showed that they, too, continue to flourish.They brought a contrasting serenity to the proceedings, diction and tonal blend as fine as ever. Irepeat a previous plea for a concert in the Chapel, the acoustic properties of which are ideal for theirrepertoire.The String Orchestra in Kallinikov’s Serenade provided further evidence of the quantity and qualityof players in the Music Department. David Joyce is to be congratulated on producing such polishedsound, as well as on casting around for lesser-known pieces in which to display it. They, too, wouldbenefit from a hearing in the Chapel, if it could be arranged.The Community Choir and choristers from the school’s Chapel Choir had waited patiently for theirturn. When it came, they were straight in with a sharpness of attack which was to be sustainedthroughout Mozart’s Solemn Vespers. Choir and conductor have been together for a long time nowand the rapport that has been established is a joy to watch and to hear. Every cue meets with instantresponse, every gesture is reflected in the desired change of tempo or dynamic. They cannot butenjoy singing as they do and it is uplifting to witness such fervour.It is also good to see the solo vocal parts being taken by members of the School, their contributionbeing enthusiastically received. Particularly memorable was Henrike Legner’s beautiful rendition ofthe famous solo for soprano, Laudate Dominum, and she was part of a talented quartet featuringAwen Blandford, Laurence Jeffcoate and Henry Craig.

As in every item in which they were involved, the orchestra accompanied the choir magnificently.The amount of hard work that must go into a concert of this scale and this quality is enormous.Never has it sounded so worthwhile.