THE FIRST of this year’s choral programme in the Petersfield Musical Festival – from March 11-19 – provides as big a challenge as ever for Rogate, Alton and Petersfield choral societies.
The short opening work at the concert on March 1, at 7.30pm, in the Festival Hall, is Constant Lambert’s Rio Grande, an amazing piece that nicely catches the spirit of the time it was written – the 1920s. Zany and fiery then soft and languid by turns, it illustrates Sacheverell Sitwell’s poem perfectly.
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is justifiably popular, and the choir has had fun learning it. The secular poems which celebrate the pleasures of the spring, with song, wine and women, and warning about cruel Fortune, date from the twelfth century.
Welsh baritone Gary Griffiths from the Welsh National Opera will be the perfect soloist. Add Saint-Saëns’ extraordinary Danse Macabre to the programme and March 12 will be a great night out.
In contrast, the closing concert of the Festival, on March 19, will be familiar to all, and full of singable extracts. Mendelssohn’s Hear my prayer is beloved of concertgoers.
Olivia Brett, who studied at Bedales, will sing the solo. Weber’s Mass in E flat is known as The Freischütz Mass because he incorporated into it melodies from his opera of that name.
The orchestral works in the same programme are Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and the Concertino for clarinet in E flat by Weber. Fernhurst Choral Society joins Petersfield for this concert.
Thursday night of Festival Week traditionally belongs to Petersfield Orchestra. Robin Browning, their popular conductor who has directed them for 12 years and took them to new heights, is leaving at the end of the academic year.
The programme on March 17 opens with Berlioz overture the Waverley and closes with Brahms Symphony no.1. But the draw for most will be the popular Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto no.1.
Marcia Fielden
For information and to book, visit www.petersfieldmusicalfestival.org.uk