Camerata Chamber Choir at Wolverton Manor.
Picture by Chris Thwaites.
MUSICTHE Camerata Chamber Choir, under the direction of Jurgita Hayward, has been together since February this year.
This concert, given on a wet and windy evening at Wolverton Manor, is its second full programme. Accompanying the choir were Michele Brock on the piano, Alison Seal on double bass and Jamie Woodford on drums.
The choir’s first piece, Esurientes from John Rutter’s Magnificat, starts with an unaccompanied soprano line. Soloist Helen Pascoe took on this challenge, showing only the slightest trace of nerves. The whole choir gave Rutter’s flowing melody and rich harmonies a very pleasing performance.
Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass brought a change of moood — four miniature arrangements from the traditional mass with styles ranging from the 'real groove’ of the Kyrie to the bluesy Agnus Dei.
A lilting, reflective setting by Karl Jenkins of the Ave Verum was followed by another Bob Chilcott piece, The Lily and the Rose. This last piece, a favourite of the choir, was beautifully sung to end the first half of the concert.
Jurgita Hayward has a flowing but precise style of conducting, which commands the close attention of her vocalists. It is clear the whole choir has put much thought into how to communicate music to the audience.
After the interval, we heard Four Jazz Folk Songs, again Bob Chilcott arrangements followed by two sections from the song cycle Calling All Dawns by the American composer Christopher Tin. Baba Yetu, a setting of The Lord’s Prayer in Swahili, produced the only obvious unsteady moment, which was soon recovered. Kia Hora, a Maori blessing, concluded the evening.