Uhl: Festfanfare
Puccini: Preludio Sinfonico
Verdi: Requiem
"A chorus of praise for all"
"For their visit to the Colston Hall, the Bristol Concert Orchestra chose a vast work - Verdi's Requiem - as the centrepiece of the programme.
A short fanfare by Alfred Uhl is scored for large brass section and was ably played by the orchestra. This was followed by a rarity - an orchestral work by Puccini, Preludio Sinfonico. The elegiac opening, in which the strings excelled, is followed by a rousing tune and the whole piece is completed in just over 10 minutes, leaving a lasting impression.
Verdi's Requiem is divided into seven parts, a lot them of a contrasting nature in which the choir and soloists have every opportunity to shine. This performance boasted a quartet of finely-balanced soloists, Fabienne Borget (soprano), Joke de Vin (mezzo-soprano), Huw Priday (tenor) and Stephen Foulkes (bass), all of whom sang the unaccompanied passages with special grace and sensitivity. Mme Borget gave an outstanding rendition of the ethereal Libera Me. The contribution of the chorus was beyond praise. With more than 200 singers, many from Colston's Girls' School, they added both light and shade to this outstanding production.
Both conductor Stefan Hokes and chorus master Alistair MacKenzie are to be congratulated on providing us with such a memorable evening.
Star rating: ****
(John Packwood - Bristol Evening Post - 5 July 2001)
Last updated: 26 April 2002
