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from the Bude & Stratton Post - Thursday 14 April 2005

Saturday 9th April found Bude Choral Society performing Mendelssohn’s Elijah to a near packed St Michael’s Church, Bude, writes Nick Compton.
A coruscating performance that had the audience spellbound with its intensity. This rendition, the latest in the Society’s bi-annual concerts, was a towering performance that left all who were fortunate enough to attend truly inspired.

Once again John Hobbs, musical director, was outstanding. His total control over the choir and soloists was evident and his domination of this oratorio was gained from many hours of study. Every twitch from his baton extracted another surge and response from the choir - he teased them gently in the more subtle pieces and, like a musical pugilist, beat every ounce of blood and sweat from them when needed so they gave a truly outstanding performance.

Michael Boocock (bass) was excellent as Elijah and was very well supported by Louise Merrifield (soprano), Angela Thomas (alto), Gordon Pike (tenor) and Jo Rapson (treble). That Bude Choral Society can attract musicians of such high quality is testament to their growing reputation.

Two members of the choir, Josephine Piedot and Malcolm Topham, joined the “professionals” for the trio and quartet; both their voices were superb and they were not overawed or overshadowed at any time.

 Elijah is a very traditional oratorio in that it contains an historical narrative of the events in the life of the biblical character Elijah. It is interesting that Mendelssohn should choose such a subject as he was a Jew converted to Christianity and a rather mild-mannered man, yet Elijah is one of the most vengeful and fiercest of the prophets.

In a letter in 1838 to his friend Schubring (collaborator on the libretto) he wrote, “I imagined Elijah as a real prophet through and through, of the kind we could really do with today: Strong, zealous and yes, even bad-tempered, angry and brooding-in contrast to the riff-raff, whether of the court or of the people, and indeed at odds with almost the whole world-and yet borne aloft as if on angels' wings”.

This oratorio explores all of these aspects and is a technically difficult piece of music for choir and accompanist alike. David Robinson (organist) again gave a faultless display and he is to be congratulated on his mastery of the notes.

The only complaint that can be made is that the choir are not performing this more than the once.		 Their next concert is at Central Methodist Church on Saturday 26 November when they will be performing Donizetti’s Messa di Requiem and Vivaldi’s Gloria; put the date in your diary as the concert is likely to sell out very quickly.

Another exciting and innovative forthcoming event is a Singing Day with John Rutter the very well known international conductor and composer. His compositions embrace choral, orchestral, and instrumental music, and he has co-edited various choral anthologies including four Carols for Choirs volumes with Sir David Willcocks. From 1975-9 he was Director of Music at Clare College, and in 1981 formed his own choir, the Cambridge Singers, as a professional chamber choir primarily dedicated to recording.

The Singing Day is being held in Bude on Saturday 15 October and it is a remarkable achievement for BCS to have obtained his services for the day.

Anyone interested in attending as either a participant or a spectator is invited to telephone John Gimson on 01288 350000.

© Bude Choral Society 2005