SWANSEA BACH CHOIR

Reviews

"Performances of Brahms' glorious Requiem are almost always noteworthy occasions, and that on the afternoon of 9 April [2006], Palm Sunday, was memorable for celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Swansea Bach Choir. Under the baton of its Founder, John Hugh Thomas, the Choir has achieved a considerable reputation, happily one not confined to the music of Johann Sebastian, the current Anniversary Season reflecting an energy and enthusiasm on the part of both singers and conductor that shows no sign of waning. Nevertheless, this concert did mark the last collaboration of its kind with one of John Hugh Thomas's other choirs, the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir, whose conductorship he has just relinquished after many distinguished years of working with them. For this Brahms performance, the Swansea Bach and the Polys, as they are affectionately known, were also joined by the young choir Cordydd. From the opening movement, Selig sind, die da Leid tragen , the Chorus's German was exemplary, each syllable crystal clear and expressive of real depth and emotion.

The combination of this clarity of delivery with a highly disciplined ensemble and wonderful warmth of tone could hardly be bettered and sounded particularly well in the Brangwyn Hall's fine acoustic. Brahms's characteristic lyricism and the many moments of transcendent beauty were realised by Thomas with an unselfconscious tenderness.

Baritone Robert Davies brought a finely measured resonance to the aria Herr, Lehre mich doch , while Elin Manahan Thomas's soprano had an angelic purity which, though not an obviously Brahmsian sound, was nevertheless most touching.

John Hugh Thomas is one of Wales's great assets as a conductor and Chorus Master, instrumental in the careers of many of the country's finest singers. He himself was for many years a member of the Heinrich Schütz and the Monteverdi Choirs; he has invested his own choirs with the same fastidious approach but Thomas's defining characteristic is his very fine musicianship and, as a result, his concerts are invariably rewarding experiences. The testimony of many very celebrated musicians, among them Dame Janet Baker, Sir John Eliot Gardiner and Sir Roger Norrington in the brochure published to mark the Swansea Bach Choir's Anniversary, made it clear that it has always been so. John Hugh Thomas will continue to conduct memorable concerts for a long time to come but the occasion of the Swansea Choir's celebration and his retirement from the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir makes it an appropriate time to pay tribute here."

Musical Opinion

Handel - Dixit dominus and Bach - Christ lag in Todesbanden (BWV 4)

"...the choir was in its element, singing its favoured repertoire…accompanied by the London Baroque Virtuosi and inspired by the ever reliable and unfussy conducting of its founder. (It) was especially effective in the larger sounds, bright tempos and rhythms of Handel."

South Wales Evening Post

Messiah

"Rarely have I seen a performance of this wonderful creation with such clarity and conviction. The Swansea Bach Choir, known for its near perfect performances of many of the great sacred works…takes some beating."

South Wales Evening Post

Palm Sunday - music by Mendelssohn, Rheinberger and Pergolesi

"In Rheinberger's Stabat mater their balance and richness of tone ended an outstanding afternoon of liturgical music."

South Wales Evening Post

"The choir, always sensitive to the highly musical and intelligent interpretations of their director, John Hugh Thomas, came into its own here. Their sound was rich, the words clear, and the drama of the crucifixion scene subtly reflected."

Guardian

Duruflé Requiem

"...choral singing of international standard. The balance and precision...never faltered...moving and technically extraordinary."

South Wales Evening Post

Messiah

"...in this finely judged performance there was not a boring or predictable moment. The sound was bright and pure…and Handel's contrapuntal lines were cleanly articulated…Thomas drew singing that measured convincingly against the most stringent markers."

Guardian

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