This 2014-2015 season has been an extraordinary one in the life of this extra-ordinary choir.
With the initial seeds of its origins being sown in the early months of the outbreak of World War I, it was right that the opening concert of the season should remember and focus on those terrible events. The church of St Anne in Wandsworth provided the perfect setting for this intimate concert. This was followed by a superb Christmas Concert in Southwark Cathedral to a packed audience and accompanied by the splendid Resounding Brass to get everyone into the festive mood.
The peak of the season, though, was the Centenary Concert in the Royal Festival Hall where we performed Brahms' Ein deutsches Requiem to a full house and received a deluge of praise and plaudits for the outstanding performance that it was. It put WCS firmly on the map and showed just how very good this choir really is.
To finish the season off, the final concert contained contemporary music, all by living composers, with the exception of John Tavener who died after the music was set for the season. Making best use of the lovely acoustic in St Paul's Church, Southfields, the choir demonstrated its ability to handle the challenges of some of the modern compositions as well highlighting the sheer beauty contained within them as well. Tavener's Syvati (with the haunting solo 'cello line played by George Hoult) seemed to be the star of the evening with items by James McMillan, James McCarthy (in the audience) and Roxanna Panufnik of equal high quality.
And then we had a party afterwards. Well, we couldn't just leave it at that. It was a great way to finish a really great season. Huge thanks to one and all.
Neil |
