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Solid and Dependable
Derby Choral Union's Messiah,
heard by MIKE WHEELER
Derby Choral Union always manages to get round my initial reluctance to sit through yet another performance of Handel's Messiah, and this was no exception (Derby Cathedral, Derby, UK, 21 December 2013).
The winning combination of precision and bounce the singers brought to 'And the Glory of the Lord' was matched by the incisiveness of 'O Thou That Tellest' and the powerful attack of 'Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs'. The choral sound generally was good -- though the edgy tenor tone that marked the choir's previous concert still needs reining in a bit -- and occasional signs of tiredness creeping in towards the end were banished for a magnificent-sounding final chorus...
Copyright © 29 December 2013
Mike Wheeler,
Derby UK
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