Recent Reviews

The following reviews appeared in the Somerset County Gazette.

Springtime Concert: review by A R Edwards

The recently refurbished Taunton Baptist Church provided a comfortable and welcoming setting for the West Somerset Singers’ Springtime Concert on Saturday 16th April. Conducted by their Musical Director Nick Thomas, the choir began the evening’s programme with a solid performance of Schubert’s Mass in G. Through clear diction and range of dynamics the choir succeeded in capturing the contrasting mood of the piece from the lively, vigorous Gloria to the peaceful Agnus Dei. Guest Soprano Hilary Gooch and Tenor Chris Ball gave a well-balanced duet in the Benedictus supported by the choir’s basses.
Accomplished organist Alex Davies treated the audience to two solos; Karg-Elert’s Nun Danket and the uplifting Andante Choeur de voix humaines from French classical composer Lefébure-Wély. Hilary Gooch then demonstrated her remarkable vocal range in a solo performance of the technically challenging Laudamus Te by Mozart.
In the second half, the choir were joined by highly talented young musicians from Wellington School and King’s College Taunton. Cellist Tamar Dewbery, Flautist Jenny Kilbey and Oboist Bethany Kilbey along with King’s Music Director Karen Paul on timpani and pianist Rachel Robinson on keyboard provided a faultless orchestral accompaniment to Rutter’s Requiem. There were some hesitant entries from the choir and at times uncertainty between the parts but this did not spoil the overall delivery of the seven movements of this atmospheric work. The intensity of the dark, opening section of Out of the Deep contrasted superbly with the uplifting Sanctus. Hilary delighted the audience once again with her beautiful soaring soprano solos in Pie Jesu and Lux Aeterna.
Finally, a serene performance of Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine from the choir brought a thoroughly enjoyable evening to a close.

A Feast of Seasonal Music: review by M Bray

Thursday 16th December 2010

The West Somerset Singers promised us a Feast of Seasonal Music at their recent concert and they certainly didn’t disappoint. There was a solid opening with two chorales from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio sung with great attack following an introductory recitative given by tenor Chris Davies.
There followed a confident and dramatic performance of Saint-Saens Christmas Oratorio with clear diction throughout and a variety of dynamics, enthusiastically conducted by their musical director Nick Thomas and accompanied with great sensitivity on the organ by Alex Davies and Rachel Robinson on keyboard. The opening chorus Glory be unto God was followed by a solo from the soprano Hilary Gooch which demonstrated her vocal range and clarity of tone. This led into a chorus In my heart I believe which was at times ethereal with the soloist soaring above the chorus. There followed a lyrical and well balanced duet by Hilary and Chris Davies before the choir burst into Wherefore do the Heathen Clamor?
The second half began with a lively rendition of Rutter’s arrangement of I saw three ships, three movements from Rutter’s Suite Antique for flute and piano given by Nick Thomas on the flute and the traditional carol Good King Wenceslas.
Jonathan Lee came into his own when he joined the choir in the Huron Carol followed by a beautiful performance of O Holy Night. The soloists and choir joined together for In the Bleak Mid Winter which has been voted the nation’s favourite carol.
The choir sang two more carols including The Taunton Carol until the evening came to a very peaceful close with the audience joining in Silent Night sensitively accompanied on the guitar.

Seasonal celebrations: review by Nick Taylor
Thursday 24th December 2009

At the Seasonal Celebration of Great Composers at St George’s, Wilton, Nick Thomas directed the West Somerset Singers in a rich and varied programme to commemorate Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, and Purcell.
They began the ambitious Charpentier Messe de Minuit with joyful confidence.
There was good balance between the parts, an accomplished duet and trio from Pat Phillips, Gill Thompson, and Anne-Marie Twort, but some uncertainty later in the piece in some vocal parts.
Nick played exquisitely on the descant recorder, accompanied by his wife Elaine, for two pieces by Purcell including variations on ‘Air’ and the rousing ‘Lilliburlero’, and later they treated us to the beautiful soaring flute melodies of Blake’s ‘The Snowman Suite’.
Haydn’s optimistic ‘Te Deum’ was tackled with gusto, with an energetic fugue ‘In Te Dominum speravi’, and a triumphant ending. Chris Ball’s dulcet tenor tones added to the beauty of Mendelssohn’s ‘Ave Maria’, the choir producing exciting climaxes. Accompanied by the choir, Chris Doyle gave a masterly rendition of the baritone solo in Cornelius’ ‘The Three Kings’.
Handel was celebrated with ‘For unto us a child is born’: it perhaps lacked some joy and confidence to match its sentiments, and a few members could usefully watch the conductor more. But here, as in other pieces, Alex Davies was a joy to hear on the organ – producing contrasts we didn’t know that particular instrument was capable of!
Two gentle lullabies by Arnold Cooke and Jan Sanborn, the latter accompanied by the choir’s regular pianist Rachel Robinson, brought us well and truly into the Christmas season, as we all joined in with ‘God rest you’ and ‘O come, all ye faithful’, followed by wine and refreshments. This was an evening’s entertainment not to be missed, and their next concert is at the same venue on 8th. May 2010.

West Somerset Singers Spring Concert: review by Gill Brown
Tuesday 5th May 2009

On Saturday, the West Somerset Singers presented their Spring concert in the intimate setting of St George’s Church, Wilton.
A contrasting programme had been chosen by conductor Nick Thomas, starting with the Mozart Requiem, followed by John Rutter’s Magnificat. For the Requiem, the choir was joined by four perfectly matched soloists; Janet Distin (Soprano), Peter Oakley (Countertenor), Simon Hurrell (Tenor) and Michael Collins (Bass). Their performances all greatly enhanced the work with their richness of tone and attention to dynamics but special mention must be made of Peter Oakley who, at the age of eighteen, sang with great composure and assurance.
The Mozart opened with confidence supported by Alex Davies’ skilful organ accompaniment. In the Kyrie the soprano line was clear and the voices were well balanced. Nick Thomas kept it moving forward and the intricacy of the underlying parts was well controlled. The choir produced a range of moods in the Lacrimosa which began with a beautiful sighing entry, leading to the exciting climax. There was good attack and precision in the Domine Jesu and effective contrast of dynamics, while in the Benedictus the soloists sang effortlessly, their voices rising and falling with great musicality.
In the second half, the audience fell under the spell of John Rutter’s uplifting Magnificat. From the opening bars to the last strains, the listeners were kept on the edge of their seats as the choir and Janet Distin gave a wonderful performance. Rutter’s works never fail to entertain and the Magnificat is no exception. The syncopations and strong, energetic melodies produced a sense of exhilaration and the choir’s joyous singing enhanced this mood.
Generally the voices were well balanced and there were opportunities in the opening section to hear the rich, sustained singing of the altos, while the sopranos soared above. Within the traditional words of the Magnificat, Rutter has interwoven three other elements, the most memorable a 15th century English poem, ‘Of a Rose’. Here there was a melodic male voice line and clarity of diction from all parts. The mounting tension in the Quia fecit mihi magna, with discords held well until the climax, contrasted beautifully with the gentle prayer ‘Sancta Maria’. After a shaky start, the Fecit potentiam gained confidence and the choir coped well with the very difficult rhythms. The lilting melody of Esurientes was sung with feeling and in the solo sections of the Et misericordia and the Gloria, Janet Distin sang with ease, filling the church with glorious, ringing tones.
Throughout, Alex Davies gave a spirited accompaniment on the piano and his accurate, rhythmic interpretation, along with Nick Thomas’s clear control of tempi and dynamics, supported and guided the choir through this ambitious work.