NYCoS National Girls Choir, City Hall, Glasgow
Michael Tumelty
Five Stars
WHAT a rich and completely-rewarding afternoon’s music on Saturday from everyone involved in what was a showcase concert for the National Youth Choir of Scotland’s National Girls Choir. And I do mean everyone. Of course chorus master Christopher Bell was, as ever, a driving force of energy and enthusiasm, and, you know, he now has so much incredible raw material across his choirs, or so it seems to outside ears, that all the quality, class, and sheer sophistication of their sound and musicianship is almost intrinsic: not that I’m suggesting for a moment that it ain’t hard work now; but it’s all there, waiting to be shaped and moulded into the next project. And what a dividend that is on Bell’s years of investment in the creation of a sound with some meaning.
The sheer depth of beauty and musicianship these young girls brought from the streams of music they sang by Michael Head - a bit of an education there for this listener, who knew just a few of Head’s economically-crafted songs - was as mature as you would expect from adult professionals.
Everything the girls sang was brilliantly and sensitively-set in sound by the bright and super-alert pianism of Michael Bawtree, who played these masses of pieces by Head, Gary Carpenter, Ken Johnston and the dazzling Stephen Deazley as though he’s known them all his life.
And the gem in the concert of course was the appearance of the great mezzo Karen Cargill, patron of the choir, who sang gloriously with her girls, then for them, and us, with songs by Grieg and Schubert. It was almost idyllic. Perfect.
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