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The ChiswickW4 website

Addison Classical concert, March 2008

Janet Obi-Keller ( Head of Music @ City Lit.) - “The Addison Singers' spring concert took place on Saturday the 29th of March at St. Michael?s & All Angels Church under the direction of David Wordsworth.

The first half of the programme featured works by contemporary composers. Two of the featured composers attended the evening?s performance which made the event even more significant. Not only was the choice of programme inventive and imaginative, the performance was exhilarating and memorable.

Read Janet Obi-Keller ( Head of Music @ City Lit.) full review on the ChiswickW4 website (opens in new window).

Classical concert, 13 December 2008

A review of the concert

St John's Church in West Ealing is a spacious, yet intimate, setting for this large choir and orchestra. The substantial audience was able to sit in a half-circle around the performers in a way that made them feel very much part of what was going on.

Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on Christmas Carols is an audience-friendly starter but the opening is a challenge to the cellist. On this occasion that exposed opening phrase was immaculately played by one of the orchestra's young cellists, and really set an atmosphere and standard for the whole evening.

Andrew MacWilliams complemented this with his crystal clear opening statement 'This Is The Truth' abetted by the choir who sang with confidence and awareness of the need to balance and support the soloist. Only here and there did I sense a slight lack of co-ordination with one part getting slightly ahead of another, but all was safe in the hands of conductor David Wordsworth.

The Chamber Choir gave us thoughtfully varied interpretations of Parry's Three Carols with a lovely blended tone and balance though I would suggest continued work on consonants so that we can hear the words more clearly. John Gardner's Dancing Day was well integrated - congratulations to all players and singers for making it so exuberant. A Babe was Born by Matthias was fluent and confident with the men blending well in their unison singing, with sensitive organ accompaniment from Edward Kemp-Luck.

Kenneth Hesketh's piece Sleep Holy Babe with its Three Blind Mice opening phrase seemed a little mild, but it progressed in its structure most productively and generously moving from trebles to tutti and turned out to be a sensitively, well-graded composition which I very much enjoyed, as clearly, did the choir.

We were privileged to hear the first performance of Richard Causton's Cradle Song, dedicated to the conductor, a neat setting most beautifully sung, with the composer present.

Bob Chilcott's Twelve Days of Christmas ended the first half. It is a real fun piece, very popular, and very much more difficult than average audiences might think. A splendid first half.

The second half was devoted to St Nicholas by Benjamin Britten, and here the orchestra excelled, sounding really enthusiastic about this wonderful music. Eamonn Mulhall was well equipped vocally and musically to deliver this intense piece with steady tone and intonation but I did feel that much of the time he was over-concerned with the musical content and less with the character.

Bravo to the lovely girls of the semi-chorus and the boy soloist. The choir gave an exciting, emotional performance of this wonderful piece, taking all the necessary risks to give us the drama of the music, the pianists providing discreet and stable backing - congratulations to Matthew Hough, Edward Kemp-Luck and Janet Obi-Keller.

The Chiswick, Brentford & Isleworth Times:

Addison Classical concert, March 2006

'The concert centred on two new works commissioned to celebrate David Wordsworth's 10th anniversary as Musical Director. 'The Listening Tree' by Jill Jarman was challenging and the orchestra and choir clearly enjoyed performing this evocation of the rainforest. The other new piece was Howard Skempton's 'The Great Breath' which the Chamber Choir delivered with confidence and vitality. ... 'Haydn's Mass in Time of War' is a robust piece and both choir and orchestra [Bernardi Chamber Orchestra] delivered it with the requisite confidence and zest.'

Addison Classical concert, December 2005

[The Oratorio Choir in Mozart's Spaur Mass] 'the soloists, drawn from the choir, performed excellently' ... and in Mathias's Ave Rex 'a fine rhythmic performance with a good sound'. [The Chamber Choir in a capella carols] 'the performances were well controlled and expressive ... the highlight of the show'.

Addison Classical concert, July 2005

'This concert underlined the high quality of [the Oratorio and Chamber Choirs'] vocal resources inspired by the professional competence of their musical directors.'

Addison Jazz concert, July 2005

'The Jazz Choir goes from strength to strength ... the Jazz Ensemble let rip, beautifully confident and harmonious ... The audience certainly enjoyed the whole evening and several members of the choir and ensemble remarked how much fun they had at rehearsals this term - and it showed.'

Addison Jazz concert, March 2005

'The Jazz Choir, on top form as ever, led by the effervescent Jill Jarman ... high quality of the solo performances ... All in all, a well organised, slickly arranged, top quality performance by all involved of some old favourites and new songs to enjoy.'

Addison Jazz concert, December 2004

'Under Matthew Hough the Jazz Ensemble has developed into a highly accomplished collection of jazz singers who swap rhythms like glances and merge harmonies like perfumes.'

'This was Jill Jarman's first gig with the Addison Singers and her choreography made the band and singers part of an almost seamless piece of music - this was a performance not a concert.'

Addison Classical concert, December 2004

'The Oratorio Choir opened with 'Ave Maris Stella' by local composer Cecilia McDowall, a bold choice, as the work is challenging. The singers were well up to the task, capturing the varying musical moods depicting sea and sky. The energy of the men's voices contrasted well with smooth flowing lines from the sopranos and altos.'

'The Addison Singers' winter concert was reminiscent of those gaily coloured tins of chocolates we enjoy at Christmas - full of variety and with many subtle flavours.'

Addison Jazz concert, December 2003

'The all-female Jazz Choir kicked off with 'All That Jazz' arranged by Roberts, as were several other numbers, most featuring the arranger himself in strong piano parts.  ... Then it was the turn of the soloists, all drawn from the choir and some being students of the vocal technique course offered by Alice Hyde.  ...we heard from a smaller group, the Jazz Ensemble, conducted by Matthew Hough. 'I've Got You Under My Skin' and 'Honeysuckle Rose' proved that the Ensemble had mastered the art of smooth phrasing for the tranquil sections. This section of the programme closed with a happy-clappy 'Mamma Mia', turned in this Roberts arrangement into a showcase for the Ensemble's overall ability to put a song over through clever use of dynamics, accents, and acting, plus lots of enthusiasm.'

'To round off the concert the Jazz Choir came bounding back. In a dramatic move, as one woman they discarded their music folders, and thus unencumbered could give us 'Knock on Wood' with all the movements and handclaps, and of course with full attention to the director. Finally explaining the title of the programme, the concert closed with 'Anything Goes'. Despite the size of the choir (there were more than 70 singers in the concert) every witty word could be heard, the parts chimed in excitedly, and the singers could obviously have gone on all right. A big round of applause showed that the audience felt it had received its money's worth too.'

The Richmond and Twickenham Times:

Addison Jazz concert, July 2006

'The energy and enthusiasm of conductors Jill Jarman and Matthew Hough are infectious, and I have never left one of their concerts without feeling exhilarated.'

Addison Classical concert, December 2002

'The Addison Singers Oratorio and Chamber Choirs performed to a full church, St Michael and All Angels Turnham Green on Saturday 7 December.'

'David Wordsworth's exceptional programming mixed Monteverdi and the Gabrielis with carols and two settings of the Magnificat from medieval and modern England, Spain, Hungary, Holland and Estonia. Arvo Pärt's Magnificat was a particular highlight, with a beautiful solo by Carrie Symes blending well with the Chamber Choir's most delicate singing. This group at its best is able to express great emotional depth, and the audience was moved by their singing of the Benjamin Britten Hymn to the Virgin.'

'Monteverdi's Exultent Caeli and the Kodály setting of the Advent Hymn were sparkling performances by the full Oratorio Choir, supported by the exuberant playing of a youthful brass ensemble from the Royal College of Music.'

Addison Jazz concert, December 2002

A capacity crowd enjoyed an entertaining concert ... as the Jazz Choir and Jazz Ensemble of the Addison Group of Singers performed their end-of-term concert to an enthusiastic audience.

'The Jazz Choir, a group of nearly 70 women singers, performed the opening numbers of the concert. Keith Roberts' conducting was energetic, crisp and precise, with all of those elements so essential to good quality choral singing: strong entrances, good cutoffs, attentiveness and enthusiasm.'

'The Jazz Ensemble was conducted by Matthew Hough, and although he is classically trained ('that's why I wear a tie'), the group has clearly flourished under his talented leadership.'

[Reference to the Chamber Choir]

'I can commend The Addison Singers as a group of accomplished performers who sing with precision and great spirit.'

'The quality of the ensemble was quite outstanding.'

Addison Classical concert, July 2002

'The programme demonstrated the Addison Singers' power to adapt to all styles, with performances of 'Psalms' by Lukas Foss by the Oratorio Choir, together with folksongs and a madrigal from the smaller Chamber Choir. Foss's 'Psalms' presents considerable difficulties for any choir, with changes of key and timing which were managed well.'