Haydn,   The Creation:  Soloists, St. George's Singers, Neil Taylor (conductor) Royal Northern College of Music , Manchester  24.03.2007 (RJW)

The St. George’s Singers have been in existence for fifty years and judging by this performance their tradition and professionalism could easily allow their popularity to stretch for another fifty. Based in Poynton near Hazel Grove, Cheshire, a fertile area that rises up to Lyme Hall and the Pennines beyond, they regularly provide a tight annual programme that has taken them touring on the continent. Under their new conductor, Neil Taylor, the quality of singing by over 100 voices is very fine and on a par with the Hallé Choir. This fact was particularly true for this vibrant performance.

Declared a masterpiece, Haydn’s ‘The Creation’ has always been popular since the composer’s creative energy combines music as an art form with music in a form that conveys romantic expression. It was Haydn’s aim to transcend his audience’s earthly emotions to a higher spiritual plain with an experience heaven-sent. Haydn’s inventiveness with orchestral texture and effects were revolutionary at the time and apparently, in an outstanding concert performance of 1801, lost none of the charm when played by only nine musicians. This performance used Novello’s new edition of the work, which improves on its original and imperfect German translation. The 40 strong Manchester Camerata (leader Martin Clark) did full justice to the score under Neil Taylor’s baton. The orchestra’s configuration was of double woodwind (3 flutes in fact), double horn, trumpet and trombone and usual complement of strings. A harpsichord continuo led the narratives.

Leading the choir were a fine pedigree of confident soloists: Rachel Nicholls, Richard Edgar-Wilson and Matthew Brook. Rachel Nicholls is a confident singer with powerful voice (and mezzo undertones to her soprano) whose fine breath control successfully fills out wide phrasing. Her aria, ‘With verdant clad’ was well paced, and the Mozartian ‘Most beautiful appear’ was utterly delightful.

In the second part, I felt her voice rather strong in the trio, On thee each living soul awaits as it tended to mask the others. Richard Edgar-Wilson is a light tenor with good clarity and has good focus and pace. His aria, In native worth and honour clad was particularly well sung and held the audience’s attention. Of these soloists, the one that brought colour as well as delicate humour to the oratorio was Matthew Brook, a velvety resonant bass. He is given the monotonous task of carrying most of the narration, yet he did so with such good dynamics (from pp to ff) that attention on him was accentuated. With good diction, he injected good amusement to ‘Straight opening her fertile womb’ where a description of ‘ble-e-ating sheep and hosts of insects’ heightened enjoyment of the performance for everyone concerned. His aria, Now heaven in fullest glory shone, preceded by a charming tone-poem pastorale was delightful. Here was a memorable moment with its catchy flute melody and strong rhythm. As found in other parts of the oratorio, Haydn sometimes sets up a dialogue with a delicate wind melody line echoed by the strings that is quite engaging. The duet for Adam and Eve (Graceful consort) was magnificently delivered in the lighter setting Haydn devised to represent these innocent characters.

In the vocal score the editor has marked a speed of 108 for a quaver and the Introduction sounded slow and laboured if this speed was adhered to. However, the confidence of the orchestra built up admirably after the opening 25 bars of 'Representation of Chaos.' Throughout the whole oratorio, Neil Taylor sustained good control of both orchestral and vocal forces, and managed to provide some fine moments in the finales of both parts. The choir was well-rehearsed and strong in voice (as one might imagine 100 voices might be.) It brought added depth to the piece and delivered wide-ranging dynamics with a nice balance preserved in pianissimo sections. The tenors, although not altogether swamped, might have benefited from added strength of numbers in ‘forte’ passages, perhaps.

This performance at the Royal Northern College of Music was well attended, and deservedly so as an appreciative audience demonstrated.

 

Raymond J Walker

 

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