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REVIEWS

Unfortunately it is very difficult to have the local press review concerts in the area and this has been the case for almost 10 years.   The following is a review which was provided following the performance in March 2012 when the Society combined with The Havering Singers, Southend Choral Society and the Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs to perform Berlioz Te Deum.

“If it is permissible to characterise a concert in terms of food, what an absolute feast was served us by the massed ranks of Hutton & Shenfield Choral Society, Havering singers, Southend Choral Society and Southend Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs, aided and abetted by the magnificent Aurelian Symphony Orchestra.

To start, we were served with Walton’s curious hommage to Elgar, Orb and Sceptre, offering a crisp mid-twentieth century shell round a woozy Edwardian cream filling.  Keith Motson elegantly extracted a warm and expressive performance from the Aurelian.

The second course was a fine piece of Victorian English pudding - Hubert Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens.  Again, Motson coaxed some delightful sounds from the divided choirs - in particular a warm, rich, but clear tone well suited to the complex mixture which I would guess can sound very thick and muddy in the wrong hands.  Altogether a fine warm-up for choirs and orchestra for the main event.

The main course was the gloriously bombastic, very French, Te Deum by Berlioz - in culinary terms the richest, spiciest cassoulet.  Before the concert, I was concerned that it might not be possible to provide a mighty enough organ to counterbalance the massed choirs and large orchestra in the duel that Berlioz demands.  I need not have worried!  The marvels of modern technology meant that the electronic organ hired in for the occasion was more than capable of holding its own!  Unfortunately the Brentwood Centre acoustic is as dry as dust so we missed the reverberation that a huge cathedral of the Albert hall might have provided (especially at the very end of the work), but Motson drove the beast with great aplomb.

Tim Hooper seized the day and the choirs were taken at a cracking pace through the punishing (and very high!) Opening hymn after the almost comic stand-off between the orchestra and the organ - rather like stags locking antlers. Wonderfully contrasted layers of high volume and breathtaking quietness showed that this was going to be a great night.  A beautiful organ solo introducing the ravishing Tibi Omnes with its Sanctus - surely one the the loveliest pieces of choral writing in the entire canon.  A solemn reading of Dignare Domine was followed directly (great entrance - well done everyone!) by Christe, Rex Gloriae which gave the (always splendid) Aurelian percussion section a busy time.

Jeffrey Lloyd-Roberts then caught the right mood for the prayer Te Ergo Quasumus although, to my taste, the orchestra could have provided a little more lilt to the accompaniment.  Finally the Judex Crederis finished the feast off with a wonderfully rhythmic, no-ho,ds-barred finale.  The girls and boys sang their heartys out but were almost engulfed by the wall of sound which eventually gave way to the final organ chords.

Altogether a great evening of which all those taking part can be genuinely proud.”