Leighton Buzzard Festival Singers’ Spring concert – reviewed by David Phillips

In his Cantata No.4, the 22 year old Bach set Martin Luther’s fine chorale melody and poem in different ways for each of its seven verses, describing the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Under their musical director, Samuel Huston, the choir and soloists, accompanied by the excellent strings of the Alina Orchestra, expressed the intricate polyphony of Bach’s music with commendable clarity and confidence.

Henry Purcell’s “Dido & Aeneas” is generally thought to be the first true English opera – composed throughout in music without spoken dialogue. Written in about 1683 or 1684, when Purcell, like Bach, was in his early twenties, it tells the tragic story of the fatal love between Dido, Queen of Carthage and the Trojan hero, Aeneas. The music displays all the richness of Purcell’s style: wonderful melodies, moving and powerful choruses at key moments in the story and the weird portrayal of the underworld with the Sorceress and his/her witches. All demonstrating Purcell’s unequalled genius in setting the English language.

The performance, accompanied with spirit by the Alina Orchestra, told the story vividly. Sian Menna as Dido, and Emily Rooke (Belinda) sang with delightful style; David Bick, tenor was a characterful Sorceress, while Edward Price made the best of the somewhat under-written role of Aeneas, singing with great beauty of tone and exemplary clarity of diction.

The crowning glory of the opera – Dido’s incomparable lament before her tragic end, “When I am laid in earth” was sung with heart-breaking beauty by Sian Menna.

Several supporting parts were taken with assurance by members of the chorus: Judith Watts, Sarah Marsh, Olivia Olleson, Richard Ball, and Peter Mundy,

It is encouraging to see the Festival Singers maintaining their high quality. Their performance was warmly appreciated by a large audience.