Karl Smallman
Morris Bishop reviews Franz Joseph Haydn’s Missa Cellensis by Collegium Musicum with the Camerata Singers under their Director of Music, the ebullient Annemarie Philipps at the Iglesia de la Encarnacion, Marbella
THE Haydn mass number 5 in C major, which breaks up the text into 18 sections is arguably his greatest piece of church music; it is certainly written on a grand scale, and is a massive undertaking for an amateur choral society to perform.
What struck this humble listener was the dedication, commitment, and professionalism displayed by each and every one of the 100 musicians involved in the choir, orchestra and the four young soloists. These outstanding vocalists are all studying at the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff: Llio Evans, soprano, from Wales, Claire Filer, New Zealand-born was the contralto, the tenor, Ben Thapa hails from England, and bass, Ryan Ross comes from the USA. Let’s hope that one day they may compete in “The BBC Cardiff Singer of the Year” competition.
The Mass was brilliant, and was preceded by an overture on two well-known themes by Verdi and Donizetti arranged for orchestra by Delyth Bressington, the hi-tech president of the society who also produces all the musical arrangements, is a viola player, and plays an electronic keyboard to fill in with instrumentalists that are lacking.
Apropos that, if there are any musicians out there who want to relive the sheer joy of making music, particularly tenors and bass singers, and all instrumentalists, please, please contact Annemarie on 952 775 492 or the secretary, Driekje Lawson 686 277 272 or by email to [email protected]
Make a note of their web site www.colmus.org because you won’t want to miss their next concert, and if you get on their email list, you won’t!
