“Music that gives you the shivers”
Weymouth Choral Society’s ‘Messiah’ always pulls in the crowds and this year’s performance was no exception.
Helen Brind conducted with her usual quiet aplomb and the choir responded magnificently, not just the great dramatic arias like the Hallelujah Chorus(which sent shivers down my spine) but the calm, quiet pieces like Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs were beautifully done, though difficult.
The balance of the performance was excellent, partly because of the use of a Baroque-type small orchestra which did not swamp the choir and through a good proportion of bass and tenor voices.
All the solo singers did well too. Soprano Rosalind Mizen, the clear and pure voice of counter-tenor James Neville, the bass-baritone Timothy Nelson and my favourite – the Australian tenor Edmund Choo.
I would give the instrumentalists top marks too, particularly Richard Hall for his faultless percussion keyboard organ, Graham Dudding for his cello and Winston Leese for his trumpet.
All my congratulations to Helen Brind and all the musicians for this Mighty Messiah.
Review by Janet Ferrett
