Review from Newbury Weekly News published Thursday June 21^st 2007

Baroque with a Passion

Newbury Chamber Choir and Newbury Baroque Players: Masters of the German Baroque at Burghclere Parish Church on Saturday 16^th June 2007

Like J.S.Bach, on his famous 600 km pilgrimage to Lübeck, Newbury Chamber Choir began with Buxtehüde Magnificat with a rich and melodic soprano and alto line.  The men for the moment remained behind the ladies, however, in more ways than one.  It might have been the cosy acoustics of Burghclere Church, or that some of the basses were crammed in to the very crevices of the rood screen, but at least the line was soundly backed by the double bass of Katie Long, who had much to do in music of a far different sort later on.

The orchestra quietly took the stage with Brandenburg 2. Less familiar that its sister concertos, it gave us the first taste of the first-rate talents of James Toll (violin), Alexander Parker (oboe), (Recorder) and Matthew Bright (trumpet).  The recorder was again taken up with Telemann’s Trio by Sarah Merricks in dialogue with Parker’s oboe, while the chaperone of Neil Charlton’s cello continuo held the shy but intense duet at a distance.  It fell to Heinrich Schütz to close this restrained first half, as it began, with a Magnificat.

The very sociable interval ushered in a complete change of period and tone in which Edward Lambert introduced his own Trio Sonata. To present such an ‘edgy’ piece to an audience thirsting for the Baroque is almost like sitting Brian Sewell down to dinner with Tracey Emin. What emerged was an ear-training exercise in the medieval device of singluti, or ‘hiccups’.  Lots of hard work, particularly by Katie Long, got most of us going, with the prospect of further rewards to come, for on walked both Sarah Merricks and Imogen Lambert again with James Toll, in an absolutely delightful Brandenburg 4.  An audience whose antennae had been sensitised by Lambert’s Trio Sonata was swept away.

Telemann’s Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes, is the shortest psalm in the Good Book and a fitting finale; positive, tuneful, happy; as in a story of true love, everyone came together at last with the right passion and fervour.

A most entertaining and interesting evening; watch out for their next at St.John’s Church, Newbury, on November 17^th.

PATRICK COGSWELL