Mozart Mass in C minor: Britten Sinfonia and Brighton Festival Chorus

Opening with Tarik O’Reagan’s Chaabi this was a last night concert to remember, the new work was stunning and the audience attentive. Nicholas Daniel then gave us the Mozart Oboe Concerto in C major, an animated and ornate performance of a much loved work that delighted both the crowd and the players. After the interval we were treated to the full force of the Festival Chorus who proved once again to be a choir to be reckoned with. So much so in fact that at moments the conductor coaxed so much from them that the orchestra were slightly overwhelmed, especially by the female voices which do form the major part of the ensemble. But they were only moments in what otherwise was a powerful rendering of the mass. The soloists were excellent too, especially as two were last-minute stand-ins. And as a stand-in Sophie Bevan was more than up to the task with a breath-takingly beautiful performance in both her solos and her duets with the equally fine voiced Lisa Milne. What a pleasure it was to have a final concert that was so popular with a near capacity audience all enjoying works new and old.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 26 May 2013

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