2026
HAYDN : THE CREATION CONCERT
Any choir that decides to tackle one of the greatest works in the classical canon must possess a deep-seated confidence born of long experience, coupled to the kind of dedication that exceeds ordinary enthusiasm, and a cultivated taste for the sensuous colours only the human voice can produce. Such a choir are the members of Brenchley Choral Society which gave a thrilling performance of Joseph Haydn’s mighty oratorio The Creation (Die Schöpfung) on 25th April at All Saints’ Church. They were joined by three excellent soloists and a group of talented instrumentalists under the baton of Roland Millar, the Society’s dynamic music director. The gifts of the occasion, enjoyed by a large and appreciative audience, were moments of grand gestures, fine details, opulent sounds – and a jocular cameo from one of the infrequently heard instruments of any orchestra
The Creation was completed in 1797 when Haydn was sixty-five years old, finally released from being a liveried servant and free to travel. On his second visit to London, where he had experienced the mammoth performances of Handel’s oratorios, he was presented with a text compiled mainly from Milton’s Paradise Lost, the Book of Genesis, and the Book of Psalms. It was thought to have been prepared for Handel, but was never set by that master. A German version was made by Haydn’s friend, Baron Gottfried van Sweiten, and the composer settled down to write a work of great beauty, full of the highly-expressive music illustrative of the rich sound palette invested in his late symphonies. The text, here retranslated into English, is a dramatic and colourful narrative of how God gave form to the universe out of chaos and darkness, created the Earth, endowed it with the riches of life, and, for a final flourish, “Male and female created he them”. It is set in three parts, drawing on the Handelian structure of choruses, solo arias and ensembles..
From the first entry of the choir the choruses bloomed with a mixture of intense passion and joyful animation, the former typified by the depiction of the unfolding drama of daily wonders, the latter by the call for the harp and the lyre to awake, raise their voices and “In triumph sing the mighty Lord!”. A burst of elation celebrated the completion of The Creation, marked by “Achieved is the glorious work”. The ecstatic cries of “alleluia, alleluia” reverberated emphatically; something miraculous had been accomplished and its inheritors gave due praise and reverence. On an equally elevated scale the sections where the chorus and soloists shared the spotlight formed the triumphant heart of the performance, illuminating some of Haydn’s most brilliant sonic utterances and summoning up that ineffable quality of the human voice conjoined with vivid instrumental harmonies. It was impressive.
All three soloists “turned up” on the night and gave eloquent testimony to their well-honed vocal skills and interpretive acumen. In combination Seohyun Go (soprano, who last year sang with the choir), Harry Jaques (tenor) and Jan-Magnar Gard (bass) achieved a fine balance of tone and expression. They were terrific in “The Lord is Great” with Go and Jaques revelling in the rhetorical flourishes counterpointed by Gard’s firm anchoring; the vocal acrobatics in the final section were breath-taking. Individually they gave real substance to their allotted roles of angels and mortals. In the habit of the former they drove the narrative in magisterial fashion, giving voice to divine commands (And God said) answered in the powerful affirmative (and it was so). Go and Gard sang a rapturous duet as Adam and Eve, savouring the composer’s expressive lines celebrating connubial bliss. Jaques had his finest moment with a tender rendition of “In native worth and honour clad”. The stand-out vocal contribution was from Go; her radiant instrument was secure in all registers and the top notes rang with the resonance of a peal of bells. She delivered “On mighty pens”, one of the celebrated arias, with a captivating charm.
All those vocal endeavours were expertly supported by the instrumental ensemble whose Leader, Andrew Bernardi, provided added gravitas to the occasion with his 1696 Amici Bernardi Stradivarius. From the opening the players found a range of colours to illustrate Haydn’s penchant for tone-painting. God’s command for Light to make its appearance was answered in a glorious shimmer. The summoning of life was vividly articulated: cooing birds; galloping stags; neighing horses; and, most spectacularly, galumphing “heavy beasts” – for which the contrabassoon (and its keeper, Nicholas Downs) produced a startling vignette. The star turn for the whole ensemble came with the magnificent blaze of light with which the work concluded.
Much credit is due to Roland Millar for crafting such an excellent performance. His enthusiasm for
the piece is evident in the dedication with which he prepared the choir, his attention to details of intonation and diction, his setting of tempi to bring coherence to both text and music, and his overall pacing of the performance. A small cut was made to Part Three which did not unduly disrupt the narrative flow – a judicious pragmatism that kept the performance within a sensible timescale. Kudos to him for that, for his quiet authority on the podium, and for the depth of his artistry.
Finally, congratulations to Graham Bignell and the company of willing hands behind the scenes and at front-of-house for so efficiently managing the logistics. Cheerful givers all.
Chris Woodley
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2025
ROSSINI : PETITE MESSE SOLENELLE
All Saints’ Church once again welcomed an audience to a sold-out performance by Brenchley Choral Society.
Gioachino Rossini, famous for his 39 operas, had stopped writing them for over 30 years when he composed his Petite Messe Solennelle. Written in 1863 this was first performed privately in March 1864. It was only performed publicly in 1869, the year after Rossini’s death. In his notes at the end of the score he remarked that the piece was ‘the last of my sins of old age’ and finished with ‘blessings to you and grant me Paradise’.
Originally composed for a choir of 12 voices (to signify the Disciples) Brenchley Choral Society swelled the numbers to over 60, performing under the excellent musical direction of Roland Millar.
Although later orchestrated, Rossini’s original intention was for the work to be accompanied by piano and harmonium. The pianist, Jong-Gyung Park’s great performance underpinned the entire piece. It was exciting to hear Christopher Harris playing the same model of the harmonium as the one Rossini had in the original performance, adding to the evening’s authenticity.
The choir opened with the Kyrie and sent layers of exquisite sound throughout the church. The Gloria, which followed, was for the choir and all soloists. Thereafter each piece featured the soloists, who gave exceptional performances. The terzetto of the Gratias was sung by Abbie Ward (mezzo soprano), Dominic Walsh (tenor) and Julian Empett (baritone). The Domine Deus, sung by Dominic Walsh, had echoes of Rossini’s earlier operas with its rhythm. Soprano Seohyun Go was joined by Abbie Ward in the Qui Tollis, then came Julian Empett’s rich tones for the Quoniam. The first half was completed by the choir singing the triumphant Cum Sancto Spiritu with evident relish after months of dedicated rehearsal.
After a highly sociable interval, with liquid refreshments, the audience settled back for the second half. This was opened by the soloists and choir singing the Credo, followed by Seohyun Go’s beautiful solo in the Crucifixus. Soloists and choir then performed Et Resurrexit and the Sanctus, with piano and harmonium solos in the Prelude Religioso (offertory) in between. O Salutaris gave the audience the opportunity to savour Seohyun Go’s lovely voice again. The final piece was the moving Agnus Dei where Abbie Ward took the solo lead, ably supported by the choir. As the final words ‘Donna nobis pacem’ (Grant us peace) echoed round the church warm applause erupted.
The delighted comments of the audience afterwards were a ringing endorsement of Brenchley Choral Society under Roland Millar’s expert and encouraging guidance, and great appreciation for the musical treat of hearing such accomplished soloists and musicians.
The sheer quality of the choir’s singing received high praise during the interval and after the performance. It is remarkable that this choir, drawn without audition from the local community, rehearses only from January to April annually and produces such a wonderful outcome.
Clare Marsh
12.04.25
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2024
FAURÉ REQUIEM
FAURÉ : CANTIQUE DE JEAN RACINE
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS : FIVE MYSTICAL SONGS
DEBUSSY : DANSE SACRÉE ET DANSE PROFANE
A little bit of France came to Brenchley church this spring courtesy of the village’s choral society and its music director Roland Millar. A packed house was able to enjoy two works by Gabriel Fauré — including his famous Requiem — and Claude Debussy, interspersed with a group of songs by the solidly English Ralph Vaughan Williams.
First up was Cantique de Jean Racine, a gently lilting religious song written by Fauré when he was just 19. If the choir were a little timid at first they soon got into their stride, creating a rich sound as the piece built towards its climax. As was the case throughout the concert the orchestra sensitively balanced the singers, with the cello section adding notable depth in this rendition.
A treat was to follow with a performance of Debussy’s Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane. Debussy and the harp are, of course, a winning combination, and the soloist here, Anna Wynne, brought out the full range of this beautiful and sometimes mysterious work, gliding through the triplets and occasional Japanese tones — playing delicately where necessary but always with a striking clarity of tone. Once again the orchestra provided fine support, coaxed along by conductor Roland.
English pastoral was introduced before the interval, along with baritone soloist Julian Empett and pianist Christopher Harris, who joined the choir and orchestra to perform Vaughan Williams’s Five Mystical Songs. In keeping with the previous French works the combination of Vaughan Williams’s music and poet George Herbert’s words create a sense of intimacy with the spiritual, even if we always feel we are in the English countryside as we listen.
For the choir these songs have their challenges, with some requiring the singers to enter only towards the end of the piece after a long solo; the final song, the upbeat Let all the world in every corner sing, is meanwhile harder to sing than it may sound, with some tricky rhythms to negotiate. Needless to say, the well-rehearsed singers rose to the task beautifully. Together, soloist, choir and orchestra created some spine-tingling moments, nowhere more so than at the end of the second song, I got me flowers, with its rousing conclusion.
And so to the second half and the piece the choir will have focused on during their rehearsals since January — Fauré Requiem. All their hard work had clearly paid off, with attention to detail evident in the articulation of the words and endings of phrases. If that sounds a little dry, this performance was anything but. Faure’s interpretation of the requiem may lack the musical fireworks of those by other composers but that only puts more emphasis on the singers to pay attention to dynamics and phrasing, all of which was fully in evidence. The balance between the different parts of the choir and orchestra was particularly impressive, while the pacing was, for my taste, spot on throughout.
All of this helped to create some truly moving moments, notably at the end of the Sanctus — when even the church bells of All Saints’ Church joined in! — and the re-entry of the opening bars of the Requiem at the end of the Agnus Dei. The baritone Julian Empett and soprano Helen Hayward, in the famous Pie Jesu, joined to admirable effect.
Singing in a choir like Brenchley’s creates a great sense of community and enjoyment — especially during a winter as dark and depressing as the one we have all just been through. If you can bring a level of performance such as this it makes all the effort worthwhile. Congratulations to Roland and everyone involved on a beautifully put together programme.
Andrew Peaple
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2023
MOZART REQUIEM
MOZART : AVE VERUM
MOZART : CHURCH SONATA in D major
CPE BACH : SINFONIA in C major
With every ticket sold before the performance, and still more queuing outside All Saints’ Church Brenchley, the doors were closed and the audience were ready for a memorable evening of Mozart.
I sat at the back of the church to hear the concert begin with MOZART AVE VERUM,
composed just six months before Mozart’s death, for the feast of Corpus Christi. This was a well chosen and beautiful opening to the concert with sensitive harmonic blending and a reverence that this piece demanded.
The Chamber Orchestra then played MOZART CHURCH SONATA in D major followed by CPE BACH SINFONIA in C major. Both pieces were joyful to hear and accurately demonstrated the brilliant skills and tonal excellence of every string instrumentalist - a fitting prelude to Mozart’s Requiem which was to follow after the interval.
MOZART REQUIEM: Mozart wrote this Requiem Mass just before his early death aged 35. He was unable to complete it and his heightened emotions and sadness at this time are reflected in this huge unfinished work. The choir and orchestra produced a performance with the energy and passion that this work demanded and were led by four professional soloists who filled the church with glorious, rich and mature sounds. The ambition and resolve to perform this emotional work, which has some difficult and rhythmically challenging choral sections, was thoroughly commendable in every aspect under the experienced leadership of music director Roland Millar.
Roland demonstrated his thorough and complete understanding of every choral part and, with that attention to detail, he was able to blend the choir and orchestra with a strong focused beat. The dynamics and diction were well observed and, if I could make any suggestions, these could have been even more exaggerated for added drama and contrast.
It was easy to forget that Brenchley Choral Society, a choir of local amateur singers practising together for twelve weeks of the year with just one rehearsal with an orchestra, can perform Mozart’s Requiem to such a high standard.
It was obvious that Roland is a brilliant teacher and music director and was appreciated and respected by every performer. His attention to detail, knowledge and calm approach to performance were exemplary. Roland has opened the doors again for many, after the pandemic, and has enabled amateur musicians to experience again the fulfilment and sheer joy of performing some of the best musical masterpieces ever composed.
Thank you all for a wonderful evening of music. We look forward to the next performance in 2024.
Rosemary Creed
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2022
25th Anniversary
VIVALDI : GLORIA
JOSEPH HAYDN : ST NICHOLAS MASS
BOCCHERINI : SINFONIA in D major
PURCELL : CHACONY in G minor
There were two solo orchestral items which allowed the players to enjoy playing together. Boccherini's Sinfonia in D major opened the concert and its three short and lively movements set the tone for an evening of high-quality music making. The Purcell Chacony in G minor opened the second half of the concert and Roland Millar's consummate musicianship ensured that it plumbed the depths of emotion and colour contained in what, on the surface, could be seen as a series of repetitions of a simple bass line.
Haydn's St Nicholas Mass is one of his less well-known choral works; it is modest in scale but offers musical challenges to both choir and soloists. The four soloists, Rebecca Milford, Rebecca Hart - standing in for the indisposed Katie Macdonald - Dominic Walsh and Ian Beale not only excelled in their individual solos but provided stylish and well-balanced ensembles. The choir was confident and secure in its part singing and brought an impressive range of dynamics and articulation to the different movements. The orchestra, led by Rachel Hess, with continuo player Christopher Harris, enhanced the performance with careful and nicely judged playing.
Vivalid's Gloria has always been a favourite with many of the choir so it was appropriate that it should make an appearance in this very special evening. It demands vitality and energy as well as sensitive and subtle shaping from both singers and players. The rhythmic impetus of the faster movements was exciting if at times a little demanding and the more reflective moments with both choir and soprano soloists were beautifully managed, enhanced by well focused obligato oboe and cello solos. The final chorus of Cum sancto spiritu had enormous impact and brought the evening to an incredibly happy conclusion.
Having been involved for some fifteen years with the choir, it was a real pleasure to be invited to this special evening. I have no doubt that the choir with Roland Millar has a very bright future and I look forward to following their progress in the years to come.
Marjorie Ayling