Ross-on-Wye Choral Society

May 2002

With Richard Edgar-Wilson (tenor), and The West of England Philharmonic Orchestra.

Handel “Zadok the Priest”

“… the singers made their first entry fortissimo with split second timing and explosive force”.

Bourgeois “Symphony No. 7 - The first 2000 years”

“The choir is unlikely to have been confronted by such a complex and difficult score before, and its members must have made a considerable effort in the early stages of rehearsal…However, once a certain stage is reached there comes the breakthrough and everything begins to make sense. It only needs an orchestra, an excellent soloist and a highly competent and inspiring conductor for the work to reveal its exciting potential, and this it had in ample measure …”

Review by the late Michael Eveleigh

May 2007

Jennifer Walker (soprano) Richard Allen (tenor) Anita Corbett (piano)

A Night at the Opera

In a concert of choruses from different operas, the mood of each one has to be created in just a few minutes, making huge demands on the skills of the choristers – empathy with the mood of the music and the text was essential and they achieved good control and a pleasing array of tones and contrasts.”

“Miss Jennifer Walker is a young musician of exceptional ability … it was most pleasing to hear her sing again in a wide-ranging programme of music which called for great skill and musicianship. One of the highlights of her programme was the rarely heard ‘Ruhe sanft’ from Mozart’s opera, ‘Saide’. ”

“Richard Allen has a superb singing voice – particularly pleasing was his performance of Tamino’s aria ‘Dies Bildnis ist bezaubend schon’ from Mozart’s opera, ‘The Magic Flute’.”

“Audiences and, perhaps, choirs do not always understand the skill and musicianship needed to be a good accompanist, nor do they appreciate the fiendish difficulty of some piano accompaniments, particularly when an accompanist of the calibre of Anita Corbett makes them appear so simple.”

“Mr Fox’s choice of music was splendid!”

Review by C J P