Although Elgar was a devout Catholic, his six songs, From the Bavarian Highlands, still might have proved a somewhat unwise choice because the RC Cathedral’s ponderous acoustic does not readily lend itself to works where levity and precision are the order of the day.
In the event, however, the Plymouth Philharmonic Choir gave a highly idiomatic performance which, despite the added complication of having the men positioned at the back, came off well, further enhancing the choir’s reputation in terms of its versatility.
Opening with Haydn’s Little Organ Mass, the choir was on more familiar territory, and was in particularly fine voice for a stirringly patriotic reading of Parry’s coronation anthem, I Was Glad, enhanced by Jonathan Watts’s powerful organ accompaniment.
Making her choir debut, soprano soloist, Denise Kehoe afforded the 130-strong singers a well-deserved breather on such a gloriously warm summer’s evening, and appeared most at home in the soubrette-like Old Sir Faulk from Walton’s Facade, which benefitted from her effective characterisation.
If Walton’s Te Deum proved to be the evening’s overall highlight, and where there was a most effective use of vocal resources despite the venue’s limitations, the Man-of-the-Match award must surely go to conductor, Christopher Fletcher.
Despite the less-than-ideal working conditions, he still managed to provide factual, yet entertaining links, which altogether made this such a refreshingly informal and enjoyable experience.
PHILIP R BUTTALL
