STUDENT MUSIC CONCERT REVIEW: Manchester University Choral Ensembles - Holy Name Church, Manchester.

The instrumentalists had had their showcase in the afternoon, and so it seemed only fair that the Manchester University's two main choral ensembles should also have their turn too, which they did, within the beautiful religious splendour of Oxford Road's Holy Name church. 

The first choir to perform this early evening was The Cosmo Singers, and this group of 27 a cappella singers started their set with the beautiful, and seasonally appropriate 'Weihnachten' by Mendelssohn. Seven further pieces followed, a good selection of compositional eras was chosen, and a couple were sung to piano accompaniment provided by another student. I would have preferred perhaps a little more variation in style, but maybe because this was a church, the choir was reluctant to let its hair down too much. The final song in their set was the most upbeat and sounded very much like African Tribal music, but was in fact 'Jubilate Deo' by Peter Anglea.

The dynamics were nicely handled in all the pieces, and the breathing techniques nicely observed too. The harmonies were secure and sounded good, although I don't think the SATB balance was optimum in this choir. The sound was at times too light, and the lower registers (especialy baritone / bass) were under-represented.

Both this choir and the one to follow were conducted by a trio of student conductors taking it in turns to either conduct, sing, or sit to the side. They were David Wynn-Evans, Kwankaew Ruangtrakool, and Harry Mobbs. All were interesting to watch, but for me Ruangtrakool was the most expressive, managing some clever unison snaps during one of her turns. Both choirs also utilised the natural accoustic of this church to their best advantage too. Enunciation and diction were always clear, and very little effort was needed on the part of the singer to make their voice soar high and wide. My over-riding criticsim would be that the announcing, done by one of the conductors, was far too quiet. Even being seated near the front of the church as I was, I still was unable to hear and understand most of what was being said. 

The second choir to sing for us was Ad Solem. This was a completely a cappella group (no piano this time), and they numbered 25. Here the choir sang 5 pieces, again varying in the era of composition but a much more eclectic range of style too; and in this instance some of the chosen repertoire required soloists. Each solo was clear and beautiful, although my perosnal favourite, despite not being a huge fan of the soprano voice, was sung by one of the sopranos almost completely out of view from me to stage right in a wheelchair. What a lovely voice! The dynamics and phrasings again were all controlled and superb, and thankfully, for this reviewer at least, the SATB ratio was perfect this time.

The choir started with Thomas Tallis ('If Ye Love Me'), and ended with a chorus entitled 'Panda Chant 2' from the minimalist contemporary opera, 'The Games' by Meredith Monk. We could not have asked for a more diverse set list! Ad Solem added the mutterings of monks, the calls of the Muezzins, vocal sighs, and the bleating of goats to their repertoire with aplomb!

The concert was about 90 minutes long and performed without a break. I would suggest that that, when one is seated on the hard narrow wooden pews of a church, is too long! However, that notwithstanding, this was very enjoyable concert and the singing was of an extremely high standard.

Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 19.11.22