J. S. Bach at Christmas
Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the cornerstones of Western classical music, a cultural giant whose influence spreads into areas such as jazz and rock and whose music is constantly plundered by a multitude of creative artists seeking inspiration for their own output. Connoisseurs of Bach’s music will immediately have spotted that the Bach Winchester Voices cleverly share their initials with the Bach Werke Verzeichnis method of cataloguing his works. Thus it was an all-Bach concert of Christmas-related music that Andrew Hayman and his choir and orchestra presented in a lovely late afternoon concert in St Peter’s Church, Stockbridge.
Following a theme that took us from Advent, on to the shepherds being visited by the angels and finally to the visit of the wise men and their meeting with King Herod, the concert opened with the cantata Wachet Auf! BWV 140. Based on a text from St Matthew this describes the coming of Jesus in terms of a bridegroom (Christ) awaiting his bride (the people and the Church). The orchestra provided just the right spring in the rhythm to suggest a bridal march and the choir made a strong sound in the first chorale. Soprano Katharine Fuge and bass Ben Hendry-Watkins sang both their duets with good characterisation, the first accompanied by the brilliant sound of the piccolo violin and the second by the pastoral sound of the baroque oboe. In between these duets came one of Bach’s most famous chorales, the sweeping violin melody perfectly poised under the sound of the men’s voices. Achieving a good blend in unison singing is not always easy but here it was beautifully done. The cantata ended with a chorale and fine ensemble singing with controlled dynamics. Excellent diction throughout.
The small string section of the orchestra – just one to a part – provided another well-known Bach piece: the famous Air from his Second Suite BWV 1068. A stylish and poised performance with enjoyment very much in evidence. The last item in the first half departed from the Christmas theme: a short, accompanied motet, BWV 1149, on the theme of death. This was sung well with good balance and neat accompaniment.
The second half opened with the lovely Sinfonia that introduces Part Two of the Christmas Oratorio BWV 248. The baroque oboes perfectly captured the rustic feel of shepherds’ piping and there was a lovely lilt to this. The evangelist has an important role in the Christmas Oratorio, here sung with conviction and a crystal-clear tone by Sebastian Hill. His aria about the shepherds was accompanied by the accomplished flute playing of Eva Caballero, who also beautifully accompanied the alto solo. Vocal difficulties prevented alto Tamsin Jones from giving us the solo (though she did sing with the choir) and, at very short notice, Sebastian Hill switched his vocal gear-box and presented all the alto solos. A bravura performance indeed!
The final part of the concert was given over to Part Five of the Christmas Oratorio, the joyful bounce of its opening chorus conveying the celebratory mood so well. The choir handled the tricky entries with skill and in the ensuing number they responded well to the sudden changes of tempo in their exchanges with the alto solo. Once again one had to admire Sebastian as he switched effortlessly from tenor to alto and back again. There was yet more to admire in the singing of the soprano and bass whose solos contribute so much to the conflict between the wise men and Herod. A wonderful afternoon celebration of Bach’s genius and massive congratulations to Andrew Hayman for bringing it all together.
Review: Duncan Eves
