On Saturday, 2nd. April, along with friends, I attended the concert by Croydon Philharmonic Choir and Basingstoke Choral Society, held in the magnificent vaulted Guildford Cathedral. This was a new venue for me and whilst I was somewhat concerned about the acoustics of the place, my fears were quickly allayed, once the performance began. This may have been due to the seating arrangements for the choir who were positioned on a steeply stepped platform.

The evening's programme began with a lovely offering by Joseph Haydn, 'Insanae et vanae cure', an extract from an oratorio which he wrote in 1774.This really set the tone for the rest of the evening, a piece which highlighted man's futile pursuit of material gain, as opposed to seeking spiritual enlightenment.

This work was followed by Schubert's 'Unfinished Symphony'. Under the baton of David Gibson, the New London Sinfonia gave us a lovely interpretation of this work. I was particularly impressed by the beautiful 2nd. movement, with very effective use of horns, basses and violins and then delightful use of clarinet and oboe, with variations on a theme.

After the interval we were treated to a wonderful rendition of the 'German Requiem' by Brahms. This was the first time I had heard the complete work since I was involved with a production of it, over thirty five years ago. It is a work which is quite different from similarly named works by such composers as Mozart, Verdi and Fauré - to my mind, not typical of the music associated with a requiem.

I was mightily impressed with this performance and actually wondered how David Gibson had married two choirs from different towns, to produce such a stunning effect. The magnificent soaring chords of the first section were achieved with control and clarity. The dynamics were notable - a perfect blend.

By contrast, 'All Flesh is Grass' began in sombre tone. The score admirably demonstrates the frailty of human nature and the repetitive style of the theme emphasises this. With lovely contrasting parts this section finishes with a promise of better things to come.

The third section introduced us to the voice of baritone, John Lofthouse. For one so young, (I place him in his mid 30's), we were treated to singing of maturity and purity of sound. His voice was rich and fully rounded with excellent diction. He delivered with power and conviction. He deserves to be given wider exposure. The finale to this section was indeed powerful and amazing in its magnitude.

Listening to the section, 'How Lovely are Thy Dwellings', I was transported to another level. The arrangement is breathtakingly beautiful and the choir delivered a virtually perfect rendition.

In the voice of Erica Eloff we were privileged to witness singing of the highest standard. Her control was admirable and throughout her range, she achieved clarity and seemed to have an empathy with the text. A beautiful sound. A voice with an ethereal quality.

The final sections brought together soloists and choir in singing which was accomplished with an interpretation which superbly illustrated the wording of the text. Wonderful choral singing.

I left the cathedral with the echoing chords of this work playing through my mind.  

Alan Gibson