Cummings, a team of crack soloists and the AAM win ‘Leipzig's Got Talent’

Helen Charlston, Rowan Pierce,
Nick Pritchard & Ben Kazez with the AAM
© Mark Allan

Rowan Pierce (soprano)

Helen Charlston (alto)

Nick Pritchard (tenor)

Ben Kazez (bass)

Academy of Ancient Music

Laurence Cummings (director & harpsichord)

7.30pm, Thursday 16 April, 2006

Milton Court Concert Hall, London

★★★★★

'The Chosen One'

Graupner, Christoph (1683-1760): Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden, GWV 1113/23b

Rolle, Christian Friedrich (1681-1751): St. Luke Passion, 'Es wurden aber auch' & 'Verdammliche Bosheit'

Kaufmann, Georg Friedrich (1679-1735): O ich elender Mensch wer wird mich erlösen

Telemann, Georg Philipp (1681-1767): Ich muß auf den Bergen weinen und heulen

Fasch, Johann Friedrich (1688-1758): Concerto for flute & oboe

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Du Wahrer Gott und Davids Sohn, BWV 23

Encore: 

Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685-1750): Jesus nahm zu sich die Zwölfe, BWV 22, 'Ertöt uns durch dein Güte'

Rachel Brown & Leo Duarte
with the Academy of Ancient Music
© Mark Allan

Bach:

'Soprano Rowan Pierce and alto Helen Charlston wound their lines together beautifully with the lilting oboes, with Charlston in particular growing from nothing on long notes to emerge out of the texture'.

'Nick Pritchard’s recitative was tender yet with the communicative immediacy now familiar from his Evangelist performances in the Passions. And when joined with Pritchard, bass Ben Kazez delivered their busy duetting with perfect clarity'.

Telemann:

'Clear-focussed recitative from Pritchard, righteous shaking from Kazez, and gentle trotting from Pierce, against stunningly virtuosic filigree from flautist Rachel Brown'.

Fasch:

'Brown and (Leo) Duarte were a delight, mixing perfectly judged expression with deft virtuosity'.

'Cummings directed from the harpsichord with clarity and energy, and the players performed with sensitivity, dexterity and affection for the music throughout'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.

Handel's Messiah overpowered by massed forces to close the Proms Choral Day

Messiah at the BBC Proms Choral Day
© BBC/Andy Paradise

Nardus Williams (soprano)

Helen Charlston (mezzo-soprano)

Benjamin Hulett (tenor)

Ashley Riches (bass-baritone)

Philharmonia Chorus

Bath Minerva Choir

The Fourth Choir

Jason Max Ferdinand Singers

London Youth Chamber Choir

Voices of the River's Edge

Gavin Carr (coordinating chorus-master)

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

John Butt (conductor)

Helen Charlston
© BBC/Andy Paradise

BBC Prom 65

7pm, Saturday 7 September 2024

Royal Albert Hall, London

★★★ 

George Frideric Handel (1685-1759): Messiah

(orch. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791))

'Conductor John Butt had a massive juggernaut to control and, with the best will in the world, nuance was always going to be a challenge. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields played with precision and lyricism, but in solo arias and recitatives, they were often sadly just too loud to allow room for the soloists’ subtleties of expression'.

John Butt conducts Messiah
© BBC/Andy Paradise

'Tenor Benjamin Hulett opened with a gently sustained “Comfort Ye”, followed by a nimble “Ev’ry Valley”.... When Mozart got out of the way and left things to strings alone for “Behold, and see”, (Helen) Charlston shone.... Soprano Nardus Williams delivered pure tone in “He shall feed his flock”, again, muted strings allowing for delicate colour....Bass-baritone Ashley Riches’ penetrating tone cut through the textures well'.

'The Philharmonia Chorus formed the semi-chorus (still 120 singers), delivering confident precision in the fiddlier choruses'.

'The fully combined chorus produced a phenomenally powerful sound, and this was used to dramatic effect for “Wonderful Counsellor” in “For unto us a child is born”'.

Read my full review on Bachtrack here.