Soprano Elin Manahan Thomas reflects on a life of singing in, and in front of, choirs.
No idea at all what to expect.
No idea at all what to expect.
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Began singing as a very young teenager in the Swansea Bach Choir in the 90's, obvious talent in those days. Should be a good listen -
That was a pleasing programme, presented without fuss by Elin (who was a choral scholar at Clare) and there was a good music to speech ratio. Many of the items were staples of the repertoire (e.g. Stanford in G, Allegri Miserere, Mozart's Laudate Dominum) but we also had Copland's In the Beginning, a great example of solo-plus-choir. It ended with Howard Goodall's Ps 23, which elicited what I can only assume was an attempt at humour by the announcer whose sign-off went, "produced in Dibley [pause] sorry, Cardiff, by....."
I know we all have i-player, but I just have to keep saying that the Sunday-tea-time slot for the programme means that many, many lovers of choral music just don't get to hear it, especially if they've just succeeding in hiding away/shutting the family up for the CE repeat.Comment
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I agree entirely that this was a pleasantly engaging programme - one which, from start to finish, did precisely what it said on the tin. Yes, some old war-horses were out on the gallops, but there's no denying they were apposite to the theme. I thought Elin's opening gambit - her own Mozart, with the Cambridge Singers - was a superb performance.
It is odd that Auntie's two regular choral programmes (are they 'shows'?) should run consecutively on a Sunday evening. I suppose we should count ourselves fortunate that they are not consigned to a slot in the middle of TTN. Personally, I still find 3.30pm absurdly early for a midweek Evensong, but I suppose the light-hearted 'drive-home' show must have its clear run (unless Wagner demands otherwise).Comment
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