Review: Pinsuti Chamber Choir “Alleluia” at Christ Church, Skipton, July 7

A HEALTHY and enthusiastic audience was entertained gloriously by the talented Pinsuti choir in their “Alleluia” programme. Although the choir often sings a capella, and this occasion was no exception, in some works they were accompanied by the talented organist Charlie Dobson, along with a brass ensemble of six players. The conductor was Robert Webb, who always creates a pleasantly humorous mood to complement his excellent musical skills. The result was a most unusual and enjoyable evening of lively music, in which the full range of dynamics was explored.

Given the theme of the concert, it was clear that the music would be entirely from the religious canon. Unsurprisingly it concluded with a rousing version of the Hallelujah Chorus, in which the combination of brass and organ accompaniment made for an exciting conclusion. In similar vein, and also from the same composer, Handel, we were treated to a performance of the only slightly less well-known Zadok the Priest. In both works the choir’s intonation was crisp, and they operated as a well-practised unit.

The programme included relatively contemporary works by John Taverner (“Song for Athene”, which I found delightful), Stanford, and Eric Whitacre (his lyrical “Alleluia”), but also a selection of earlier pieces from Luis de Victoria and Orlando Gibbons of the late 16th century. If there was a criticism, it was in Gibbons’ “Great King of Gods” where the 6-piece brass section tended to drown the soloists. Although this is a comfortable and welcoming venue, the somewhat echoing acoustics are difficult for such a performance.

The brass ensemble was augmented by Robert Webb himself on trombone for their performance of Vaughan Williams’ “Prelude to the 49th Parallel”, a short but enjoyable piece of film music. And Charlie Dobson, who was an excellent accompanist in the Handel works, gave us a marvellous solo performance of Messiaen’s “Alleluias sereins”, a modern work very much in contrast to the remainder of the programme.

Overall, despite the slight acoustic difficulty, this was a most enjoyable evening, which met with the warm approval of the audience. Pinsuti is based in Skipton and Ilkley, two towns which are very fortunate to have such talent within their midst.

Phil Lawler