Dona Nobis Pacem<\/em> was the discovery of the Festival for me, as previously it had only been a name. It is one of those pieces invoking peace, like\u00a0Give Unto the Lord<\/em> or\u00a0Friede auf Erden<\/em>, which sadly got overtaken by events almost immediately. \u00a0Among the texts set are some of my favourite verses from the Psalms (85:10-11). It is not a long work, and the second soprano part is not a voice-strainer (just as well, really) but very intense and it continues the composer’s association with Whitman’s poetry which I explored earlier this year in the Sea Symphony<\/i>. Our soloists were Johane Ansell and Alex Ashworth. <\/p>\n It was preceded by Vaughan Williams’\u00a0Tallis Fantasia<\/em>, commissioned for a earlier Gloucester 3 Choirs Festival, and I had not appreciated what an adventurous piece this was for its time. \u00a0Following a popular trend these days, it was unconducted. \u00a0The orchestra’s leader Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay played\u00a0The Lark Ascending\u00a0<\/em>beautifully. \u00a0Where I came unstuck was the rhapsody on ‘A Shropshire Lad’ by Butterworth. \u00a0I think the problem was that I’d been expecting the songs, not a purely orchestral work, but this piece just didn’t do anything for me.<\/p>\n Afterwards I found myself queueing in the Reviews: Dona Nobis Pacem was the discovery of the Festival for me, as previously it had only been a name. It is one of those pieces invoking peace, like\u00a0Give Unto the Lord or\u00a0Friede auf Erden, which sadly got overtaken by events … Continue reading beer tent<\/del> Festival marquee next to the Festival’s Artistic Director. Another time I was next to Geraint Bowen, but I never collected Worcester’s Director of Music to complete the set.<\/p>\n
\nSeen and Heard International<\/i><\/a>
\nBirmingham Post<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"