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In May 2009 The Ebor Singers are travelling to Mainz to take part in the summer-long Rhineland festival of the arts, with four concerts across the region.
24 May 2009 - KIRCHEN
REVIEW: Siegener Zeitung
Brillanter Klang
Brilliant
sound
The Ebor Singers from the north of England impressed with a dramatic concert . Choir music of the finest one rang out at Ascension Day in St Michael's Church, Kirchen. This renowned choir was performing as part of the Vokalstern of the Kultursommers Rhineland-Pfalz and gave the concert on the invitation of the Chorgruppe Druidenstein and its chairman, Karl Willi Harnischmacher. There were two musical themes to this concert. In the first half the choir sang English sacred music of the 16th century, and in the second half a contemporary choral piece by the young British composer Kerry Andrew, Dusk Songs, which was written specifically for The Ebor Singers. The singers played again and again with the special acoustics of the church, as individual voices sang first from back of the building, moving slowly forward, and occasionally a tenor sang from the pulpit… extremely exciting! The absolutely pure and homogeneous singing was most impressive. The singers performed with both professionalism and clear enjoyment. Excellent solos enriched the distinctive choir singing. The standing ovations made clear the enthusiasm of the audience.
REVIEW:
http://www.chorgruppe-druidenstein.de
What
a performance! A choir concert of highest quality – sad for all those
who missed it!
LINK: http://www.chorgruppe-druidenstein.de
25 May 2009 - NIEDER-OLM
REVIEW: Allgemeine Zeitung Mainz
Dynamische
Bandbreite
Dynamic
range
The Ebor Singers from the north of England offer purity of sound
At St George's Catholic Church, The Ebor Singers offered a programme of choral music with a performance of the highest standard. The choir of 19 singers and director Paul Gameson were invited as part of Kultursommer (with the slogan ‘Cool Britannia') and by Nieder-Olm Music School.
The choir first performed religious music from the 16 th century, opening with Ave Maria by Robert Parsons, a contemporary of William Byrd. Both were Catholic musicians during the reign of Anglican queen Elizabeth I. Byrd's own 5-part mass and motet Ne irascaris was sung with expression and marvellous line. The choir showed its enormous dynamic range particularly in the second half of the concert, which included music by contemporary composers: from the quietest pianissimo to the strongest fortissimo , everything was absolutely precise and perfectly sung. Playing with the good acoustics in the church, the ensemble first interpreted Salve Regina by Herbert Howells. Kerry Andrew, born in 1978, had composed the ‘ York ' Mass for the group, and here the soloists shone and it showed up the strength and blend of the choir. The choir concluded with James Macmillan ' s Christ Vincit, with a marvellous soloist who mastered unbelievable heights.
26
May - Speyer
REVIEW: Rheinpfalz
Beispiellose Kraft an Aussage undInspiration
Unparalleled precision and inspiration
There was an excellent concert
on Saturday given at the Church of St Joseph by The Ebor Singers from
the U.K. In the first half they performed pieces for the Catholic service
of Compline by Tallis, Byrd, White and Blitheman. The voices were immaculately
tuned with a warm timbre.
No less impressive was the second half of the concert, Dusk Songs by Kerry
Andrew, a contemporary setting of Compline written for the choir. The
musical ideas of this work – making full use of influences from
different music cultures – were effectively realised by the choir
exploiting the space of the building and the contrast between solo and
full choir passages.
Enthusiastic applause brought this concert of unparalleled inspiration
to an end.