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Colosseum

The Watford Observer - Friday, June 20th 2003

Tribute to long serving member

Watford Philharmonic's last concert of the season took place at The Colosseum in Rickmansworth Road last Wednesday evening, the hall enhanced by the glow of the setting sun on a glorious summer night reflected in the windows.

This performance of Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle was dedicated to the memory of Barbara Marshall, a long-standing member of the society who had died the previous weekend.

Barbara had been a member of the choir for many years and served the society as its secretary from 1986 to 1995.  Her husband, Alan, was in the audience with his daughters and informed me that a trust will be set up in her memory to assist young musicians in their careers.

I had only previously heard the original version of this work which had been scored for harmonium and two pianos, with a small chorus.  This was pleasant enough but this full orchestral and choral version arranged by Rossini himself was fuller and, to my ears, more impressive.

It has been said that this must be the most congenial contribution to church liturgy in the history of music.

Seldom have I heard the orchestra in such excellent form, a tribute to conductor Stuart Dunlop, leader Rebecca Boyle and other section leaders.

This mass, despite its name, is neither small or particularly solemn, in fact given the composer's operatic output it was full of attractive melody, particularly the Domine Deus sung by tenor soloist, Nicholas Ransley.

From the opening Kyrie, the chorus were in excellent voice and the Qui Tollis featured the lovely sound of the harp and was sung by soprano Maureen Brathwaite with Contralto , Harriet Williams.  The lilting amens in the Cum Sancto Spiritu with combined orchestra and chorus provided a gloriously uplifting moment to end the first half of the concert.

After the interval the soloists including bass Stephen Holloway and chorus sand the Credo, followed by the soprano singing the Crucifixus.

The Et Resurrexit followed with the quietly soothingSanctus and the work moved towards its conclusion as soprano Maureen Brathwaite sang the lovely, delicate O Salutaris.  The peaceful Agnus Dei created an emotional atmosphere, which led to well deserved and prolonged applause.

This concert was a fitting tribute to Barbara Marshall and will be long remembered, as will her work for the society.

by Wendy Keeling-Taylor

Petite Messe Solennelle 

Rossini was born in Pesaro, Watford’s twin town in Italy. His father was town trumpeter and his mother a singer. His abilities were evident early; he learnt to play the piano and the horn, and by the age of 12 was busy composing. Unusually among composers, Rossini was also a trained singer. He had quite a professional career as a treble and later developed a light tenor or baritone voice which he was quite prepared to use in public.

At the age of 18 he embarked on a highly successful career as an opera composer and by the age of 37 had written 39 of them. But then he declared he had ‘retired’. The ‘Swan of Pesaro’ was famous internationally and he was comfortably off, but ill health, consciousness of changing fashions and bouts of depression resulted in a span of about 25 years in which he wrote virtually nothing of consequence except the ‘Stabat Mater’ - and that took him ten years.

Eventually in 1855 he settled in Paris and small compositions, mostly songs and piano music, began to appear, the ‘sins of my old age’ as he called them. In 1863 The Countess Louise Pillet-Will asked him to write a mass for the consecration of her private chapel. As this was quite a small domestic affair the forces used at the first performance were very modest, four soloists from the Italian Opera in Paris, and a chorus of eight hand-picked from the Conservatoire. The accompaniment was two pianos and a harmonium.

Though commissioned for a private event, a new work by Rossini was of great public interest; it was clear that larger scale performances would follow and he was urged to orchestrate the accompaniment. At first he refused but later realised that if he didn’t others would, and the thought of what someone like Berlioz might do to his ‘poor little mass’ made him change his mind.

Rossini described the work as ‘the last mortal sin of my old age’. In his dedication he wrote: “Good Lord, here it is finished this poor little Mass. Is it really sacred music or damned music (musique sacrée ou sacrée musique) that I have written? I was born for opera buffa, you know it well. Little knowledge, some heart, that is all. Well then, let me praise you and grant me a place in Paradise.” The title is also part of Rossini’s whimsy. It is certainly not ‘Petite’ and much of it is far from solemn, though the term ‘solennelle’ was also used to describe a sung rather than a said mass. Although much of the writing is unashamedly in his operatic style, as he admits, the sincerity shines through and he also showed that he had all the skills expected of a church composer, especially in the lively fugues that close the ‘Gloria’ and ‘Credo’. It is no wonder that this work has remained a favourite with singers and audiences.

by R. Williams

On Wednesday 11th June, Watford Philharmonic Society will complete its 68th season with a performance of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle at the Watford Colosseum, under the direction of conductor Stuart Dunlop. 

Written in Paris, after Rossini had become established as a successful and famous composer of operas, the Petite Messe was intended originally for a small private performance but, because of the immense public interest which it aroused, was later re-scored for a large choir and full orchestra. It presents an interpretation of the Latin mass which is operatic in style, at times serene and contemplative, at times light hearted, yet always lyrical, offering an uplifting and pleasurable musical experience for a warm summer evening.

In this performance, Watford Philharmonic Society’s Choir and Orchestra will be joined by soloists Maureen Brathwaite, soprano, Harriet Williams, mezzo-soprano, Nicholas Ransley, tenor, and Stephen Holloway, bass.

Tickets, priced £12 and £10 (children half price) are obtainable from the Watford Colosseum Box Office (01923 445000) or from Anthony Pyne, 6 Garden Close, Watford WD17 3DD.

Maureen Brathwaite (Soprano)

Born in London, Maureen Brathwaite studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where she won many awards. She has also undertaken Masterclasses with Suzanne Danco, Sena Jurinac and Shirley Verrett.

Her operatic engagements have included Frasquita Carmen, Strawberry Woman Porgy and Bess and Fire/Nightingale L’enfant et les sortilèges for Glyndebourne Festival and Touring Operas, Leila Les pêcheurs de perles for Opera Holland Park, Clara Porgy and Bess at the BBC Proms and at the Sala Atlântico, Lisbon, Lily Porgy and Bess for the Royal Opera, Sandman/Dew Fairy Hansel and Gretel for Opera Northern Ireland, Sandman Hansel and Gretel for English National Opera, Despina Cosi fan tutte and Donna Elvira Don Giovanni for WNO, Pamina Die Zauberflőte at the Harare International Festival and Flower Maiden Parsifal at the BBC Proms and at the Châtelet, Paris.

In concert, she has appeared with the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the English Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, the OSJ, the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Rotterdam Philharmonic and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under conductors including Mark Elder, John Lubbock, Sir Charles Mackerras and Sir Simon Rattle and with Wayne Marshall as pianist at festivals including Bath, Chester, Harrogate, Oundle and Paunat.

Harriet Williams (Mezzo-soprano)

Born in London, Harriet Williams began her studies at the Arts Educational Schools and furthered her vocal studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has also taken part in Master classes with Barbara Bonney, Brigitte Fassbänder and Sir Thomas Allen. 

Operatic engagements have included Parseis Esclarmonde for Chelsea Opera Group, Marcellina Le nozze di Figaro for Music Theatre Kernow, Kate Pinkerton Madama Butterfly and Angelina La cenerentola for Clonter Opera, Suzuki Madama Butterfly at the Mananan International Festival, Dido Dido and Aeneas with the Bath City Orchestra, Annina La traviata for Bath and Wessex Opera and Flora La traviata for WNO. She also appeared as La Fortuna L’Incoronazione di Poppea in BBC Television’s recording of the WNO production and took the roles of Carmen, Dorabella Così fan tutte and Rosina Il barbiere di Siviglia for WNO Education.

In concert, Harriet Walters has worked with conductors including Petr Altrichter, Sir Colin Davis, Owain Arwel Hughes, Sir Neville Marriner, Carlo Rizzi and Wolfgang Seeliger and orchestras including the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the Cardiff Symphony Orchestra, the Darmstadt Hofkapelle and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. 

Engagements in 2002/2003 season include the title-roles in Carmen with the English Pocket Opera Company and Ariodante with the Early Opera Company.

Nicholas Ransley (Tenor)

Born in Hertfordshire, Nicholas Ransley began his career as an actor. As a singer, he attended the Guildhall School of Music and Drama where his roles included Albert Herring and Vakula Chervichki. He graduated from the Opera Course in 1999 and continues his vocal studies with David Pollard.

His operatic engagements have included Don José Carmen for English Touring Opera, London City Opera and Opera del Mar, Nadir Les pêcheurs de perles for Opera Holland Park, Handel's Samson at the Brangwyn Hall, Swansea, Don Ottavio Don Giovanni and Macduff Macbeth for English Touring Opera, Rodolfo La bohème for the City of Southampton Orchestra, Pinkerton Madama Butterfly for Co-Opera Ireland and The Doctor Ligea in Spoleto (directed by Luca Ronconi).

His concert repertoire includes J. S. Bach Actus Tragicus, Messiah, Samson, The Creation, Mozart Requiem, Carmina Burana, Puccini Missa di Gloria and Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle.

Nicholas Ransley is featured on London City Opera's CD “Love Unspoken” and has also broadcast for BBC Radio 3's “In Tune”. He recently made his début with English National Opera as Borsa Rigoletto and sang Carmina Burana at Symphony Hall, Birmingham. His future engagements include Rodolfo La Bohème for Lyric Opera, Dublin, and Raffaele Stiffelio for Opera Holland Park.

Stephen Holloway (Bass)

Stephen Holloway studied at Christ’s College, Cambridge, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Britten-Pears School, Aldeburgh, where he worked with, amongst others, John Carol Case, Sir Peter Pears and Galina Vishnevskaya.

His operatic roles have included Don Fernando Fidelio, The Oracle Alceste, Commendatore Don Giovanni, Sergeant Willis Iolanthe and Dr Grenvil La traviata for Scottish Opera, Cadmus and Somnus Semele for Opera Parnassus, Malta, The Speaker The Magic Flute at the Covent Garden Festival, A Dead Master Palestrina for the Royal Opera, Don Basilio Il barbiere di Siviglia for Scottish Opera Go Round and The Chamberlain Le rossignol and Chub Cherevichki for Chelsea Opera Group.

Stephen Holloway’s concert engagements have included Christus St John Passion at the Royal Festival Hall and Beethoven Choral Symphony with the Orquestra Classica do Porto as well as performances of The Dream of Gerontius, Judas Maccabaeus, Messiah, The Creation, The Seasons, Elijah, Rossini Petite Messe Solennelle and Stabat Mater, Schubert Mass in E flat, Verdi Requiem and the Beethoven Missa Solemnis.

His recordings include “The Unknown Elgar” for Pearl.