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LEICESTER MERCURY

21/05/08

 

MOZART IN MAY

DE MONTFORT HALL, LEICESTER

SAT 17 MAY 2008

REVIEW BY JOYCE PARKIN

 

A SPRIGHTLY PERFORMANCE OF GLORIOUS CHORAL WORK

 

Mozart in May was the title of the latest performance given by the Leicester Philharmonic Choir. They were accompanied by the Marylebone Camerata, and Hilary Davan Wetton was the superb conductor.
The evening began with Haydn's Te Deum. This glorious choral work was given a light and sprightly performance.
Chris Lee was the soloist in Mozart's Piano Concerto No25 in C major, K503. This work had been largely ignored until 1934 although Mozart himself had often performed it as a soloist. Chris Lee gave us a delicate and precise account.
The principal item of the evening was Mozart's wonderful well-known Requiem. Soloists were Erica Eloff (soprano), Louise Poole (mezzo soprano), Adrian Ward (tenor) and Hakan Vramsmo (baritone) with Jonathan Gregory playing the organ.
The choir was on good form and, as ever, diction, pitch and ensemble were excellent, giving some lovely moments. I particularly enjoyed the Lacrimosa and Domine Jesu with its magical pianissimos and the disciplined "quam olin abrahae".
The soloists gave us a glorious Benedictus.
A truly melodic concert.

 

 

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