Musical Director: Edward Taylor

The December concert of the Penrith Singers has become a staple of the Penrith cultural calendar, heralding the start of the Christmas season. This year the Singers, performing under the capable baton of conductor Edward Taylor, tackled pieces by Brahms, with his Ein deutsches Requiembeing the centrepiece of the programme.

The concert began with Brahms’ well-known Geistliches Lied, sung by the chorus and accompanied by Katharine Durran and Peter Cowdrey on the piano. The soprano section of the Penrith Singers was a particular highlight in this piece, beginning the first sung entry with a real purity of tone.

Following on from this strong opening, the rest of the first half of the concert showcased the constituent performers of the upcoming Requiem, beginning with soprano Charlotte Thomson expertly accompanied by Edward Taylor on the piano. The music included two contrasting songs written by Strauss; a haunting and lyrical Das Rosenband, followed by a playful Nichts. The soloist confidently handled the range of styles making for a spellbinding performance.

Next it was the turn of the two pianists Katharine Durran and Peter Cowdrey to perform, playing Brahms’ Hungarian Dances Nos 2, 4, and 6. The sense of enjoyment in the performance of these pieces was palpable; the pianists effortlessly performed the rapidly shifting tempo, dynamics and mood with relish. Even the page turning, done with dramatic flourish, became an intrinsic part of the performance.

Baritone Paul im Thurn continued the programme by singing two of Brahms’ songs, demonstrating his comprehensive understanding of Brahms’ repertoire. There was a beautiful depth of tone to his singing, underpinned by his mastery of the German language.

The first half was rounded off by the Penrith Singers performing Abendlied by Rheinberger, a piece which has rightfully become a staple of choral literature with its warm and lyrical melodies. The Penrith Singers seized their opportunity to perform unaccompanied, singing this short yet challenging piece with crystal clear diction and counterpoint underpinned by a strong and cohesive Bass Section.

After a fortifying cup of tea at the interval, we arrived at the main item on the programme: Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem. This major work, identified as one of Brahms’ masterpieces, was accompanied by a four-hand piano version that the composer himself wrote for its London premiere. Before the piece began (and between each of the seven movements), conductor Edward Taylor held the ensemble in a moment of silence, as if bestowing a kind of reverence to the performance.

What followed was a superb performance, wonderfully bringing all the performers together into a single and complex work. From the opening ostinato in the bass of the piano, to the gradual diminishing of the choir’s dynamics at the end of the first movement (Selig sind, die da Leid tragen) the music was treated with a focussed seriousness by pianists and choir. The music became more dramatic in the second movement Denn alles Fleisch, es ist wie Gras, with the constituent parts of the choir almost racing amongst one another in its contrapuntal ending. 

Baritone Paul im Thurn was introduced in the third movement, elegantly performing the prayerful opening to Herr, lehre doch mich. The fourth movement Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungenhas become a well-known piece on its own accord and enjoys regular performances. The Penrith Singers really came into their own in this movement, allowing the music space to explore its melodic and harmonic contrasts.

Soprano Charlotte Thomson came to the fore in the fifth movement Ihr habt nun Traurugkeit. The interweaving of the soprano vocal line with the choral singing was a particular highlight, showcasing an implicit understanding of balancing soloist with ensemble. A major stepchange in tone followed, marked by the marcato entry in Denn wir haben hie keine bleibende Statt, with Paul im Thurn once again providing a strong performance. The piece ended much as it began with a reflective final movement of Selig sind die Toten. The applause given at the end was testament to the quality of music enjoyed in the concert. I look forward to the next one.