Classical and Jazz: Latest News > March 10
Published: 10 March, 2011
by SEBASTIAN TAYLOR
THE Highgate Choral Society is back on form. Its performance of Handel’s Messiah at St Joseph’s Church, Highgate Hill, on Saturday reached the high standards expected of the choir, with all four sections singing well, with excellent entries and confident handling of the fugues.
Altos were in particularly strong form, singing with commitment and depth. Although sopranos have yet to regain their lovely Highgate sound, they were well in command of the difficult high notes and descents. The bass section was surprisingly sprightly, no longer a deadweight, while the tenor section really made itself felt with some delightful melodious entries.
No Messiah can ever be perfect, of course. In this instance, the performance was in danger of turning into a monochrome sing-a-long in places. For instance, the testing section “All we like sheep” started without character until a strong tenor entry instilled renewed vigour into the choir – and the basses did likewise in the subsequent “He Trusted in God” section.
The set choral pieces benefited from conductor Ronald Corp’s direction of the choir and the New London Orchestra. But orchestral accompaniment for soloists tended to be too loud, competitive rather than supportive.
Even so, soloists sang well, with Irish soprano Anna Devin delivering outstanding songlines, especially in the great solos “How beautiful are the feet” and “I know my Redeemer liveth”.
Unfortunately, St Joseph’s acoustics can’t compete with the cathedral-like qualities of All Hallow’s, Gospel Oak, where Ms Devin sang so well, to spine-tingling effect, in the choir’s Bach B minor mass. No spine-tinglers from Ms Devin or other soloists at St Joseph’s, I’m sorry to say.