Waverley Singers

"Singers in Excellent Voice"

The following review by John Bawden appeared in The Herald newspaper on 8 February 2018.

The Waverley Singers under their conductor, Richard Pearce, performed one of their biggest concerts in recent memory on Saturday, January 27, as they were joined by Romsey Choral Society for a performance of Verdi’s Requiem in Guildford Cathedral.

The intense drama and exceptional emotional range of this operatic work demands passionate commitment from all the performers - choir, orchestra and soloists - and in this respect the audience could not have been better served.

The well-drilled chorus sang with great conviction and the Brandenburg Sinfonia's playing was exemplary. The icing on the cake, however, was provided by the quartet of young soloists: Clare Tunney (soprano), Hannah Poulsom (mezzo), Frederick de Tommaso (tenor) and Michael Mofidian (bass).

Unfortunately, the cathedral’s recent refurbishment seems to have resulted in an over reverberant acoustic, and consequently much of the detail of the performance was lost. In the loud sections the orchestral sound bounced around and at times overwhelmed the chorus. However, this was a compelling and moving performance that captured the essence of Verdi’s masterpiece.

Highlights before the interval were the radiant singing of the soprano and mezzo soloists in the Recordare, the tenor’s compelling Ingemisco; the menace of the bass soloist in the Confutatis; and of course the spine-tingling Dies Irae from chorus and orchestra.

After the break we were treated to a riveting Domine Jesu Christe from the solo quartet. The chorus revelled in the triumphant Sanctus, but it was in the hushed unaccompanied Requiem Aeternam that the quality of their singing could be fully appreciated, with Claire Tunney soaring effortlessly above them onto a high B flat at the close.

This concert provided a welcome splash of light and colour on a dull January day.