Braintree Male Voice Choir
Braintree Male Voice Choir
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Reviews from 'Braintree and Witham Times' and 'Halstead Gazette'
Pat Rudkins 3 July 2009
'Choir never fails to impress'
When Braintree Male Voice Choir visited Halstead's Holy Trinity Church recently, it was fitting that two local lads stole the show.
High Street baker Dennis Hume brought the house down with his rendition of The Holy City, while Hedingham's Ken Willis gave lyrical poignancy to a cleverly-arranged Lloyd Webber number, Love Changes Everything.
Hooray for the Gilbert and Sullivan policemen! They joined John Walker's superb Gasman as great comic song performers. The Drunken Sailors were close behind them.
Musical director Elisabeth Miller's hallmark harmonies and dramatic dynamics were particularly pleasing in the Oliver ensemble and Two Little Boys.
As was to be expected, accompanist par excellence Hilary Morgan adapted to the challenging circumstances of her role in this venue, with great aplomb.
BMVC is to be applauded, for its high standard of singing and its commitment to charity concerts like this one.
Pat Rudkins 3 June 2009
'Sounds of the Sixties'
Yet again, Elisabeth Miller's gloriously well-modulated singers triumphed. The programme was a reminder that her ensemble is composed of talented individuals too.
Thus we had Ken Willis's tuneful Fiddler, John Walker's marvellous Gasman and the counter-tenor, David Wood. The latter's Rag Doll perfectly recaptured the era.
New staging gives the award-winning group added presence. However, I would like to see them all present at least two or three songs without scores in front of them to throw restraint away.
Hilary Morgan's expert musicianship on the piano continues to be an essential part of the choir's success, as it was in this concert.
Guest performers, Swing Express Band, certainly got the packed audience going in Green Onions.
Individual instrumentalists played with assured vigour and it was the only time that Joy on keyboard got due respect.
Witty compere Norwood Simpson, volatile trombonist and leader Mario De Pietro and drummer Bob Airzee added interest.
Surprisingly, because this venue is so good acoustically, this combo used microphones. Most unusual.
Pat Rudkins 10 December 2008
'Superb festive sounds'
The concert showed the beautifully modulated sound that musical director Elisabeth Miller has achieved with this choir. David Wood, in counter-tenor mode for Howard Goodall's '23rd Psalm', together with the excellent 'Gospel Train' novelty number, brought smiles all round. Cole Porter would have been thrilled with what Ben Joscelyne, Cam Evans, David Kelly and their backing singers did with 'Don't Fence Me In', while accompanist Hilary Morgan triumphed too.
The Band of the Parachute Regiment, meanwhile, went from their parade ground projection of first-half numbers to some post-interval subtleties. Especially successful was the syncopation of Darren Tucker's flugel horn and sweet-sounding saxophones in 'Marianne'.
Band and choir blended superbly in the carol singing finale.
Pat Rudkins 21 May 2008
'Bring on Broadway'
Musical Director Elisabeth Miller had tremendous success with the Braintree Male Voice Choir at Christ Church - I have never heard them sing better. The balance was superb, especially the unaccompanied ensemble, 'Can You Feel The Love Tonight? The first tenor and bass embellishments were superb.
Piano accompanist Hilary Morgan was on splendid form too. Her delicate touch in the poignant 'I Dreamed A Dream' exposed the choral crescendo and diminuendo to perfection.
The Colchester Band, under Peter Ivey's firm baton, showed the range of it's brass instruments in Alan Fernie's cleverly arranged 'Broadway Spectacular'. Meanwhile, a very promising young percussionist reached his heights in the 'My Fair Lady' selection.
On an enchanted summer's evening, this beautifully-balanced programme of popular show tunes concluded, appropriately with choir and band in harmony to 'Thank You For The Music'.
Mike Shaw. 19 December 2007
'Shame I missed the 27 previous performances!'
The Braintree Male Voice Choir and Bocking Concert Brass Christmas concert has become the popular start to Christmas in Braintree for a number of years. Although attending a number of concerts by these music groups, I am ashamed to say this is my first Christmas concert.
The band got the audience into the Christmas mood under it's conductor Wendy Morris playing 'Three Christmas Carols for Brass' before moving on to the late Ronnie Hazelhurst's 'Last of the Summer Wine'.Three other Christmas pieces followed before their final number for their part of the concert by well known brass composer Goff Richards' stirring 'Barnard Castle'.
It was then the turn of the Male Voice Choir under it's musical director Elisabeth Miller, with accompanist Sue Edwards standing in for Hilary Morgan who was ill.The old jazz number 'When the Saints Go Marching In' got off to a rousing start followed by a much gentler piece in the Matt Monro hit 'Softly As I Leave You. The quartet Dennis Hume, John Walker, David Wood and David Kelly gave a very pleasing rendition of the hit from 40 years ago 'The Jimmy Brown Song', and Lennon/McCartney's 'Yesterday' followed by finishing the first half of the concert with a cheeky piece entitled 'The Girl on the Stairs'.
Bocking Concert Brass, under the baton of Ken Few, turned the clock back at least 60 years by playing two big band numbers, 'Moonlight Serenade' and W C Handy's 'St Louis Blues March'. It's second half continued with two more up-to-date pieces, including 'Memory', which featured principal cornet Louise Burrows. Reminding us of Sunday afternoon concerts in the bandstands of years ago, we also had a selection from 'The Mikado' and 'The Pirates of Penzance' before performing it's final piece of the evening, the 'Hallelujah Chorus' by Handel
.Elisabeth Miller and the choir then took us on a Christmas journey beginning with my least favourite Christmas song 'Little Donkey', sung by an ensemble of Alan Carder, Adrian Wigan, Ian Whiteside, Bill Birks and Nick Minton. They sang it in such a way that I went home quite liking itI It's second part of the concert included three Andrew Goddard pieces, including 'The Irish Blessing', plus the carol 'O Holy Night', 'Do You Hear What I Hear?' and David Kelly and Alan Carder singing solos in 'That's What I Like For Christmas' from the show 'Pickwick'.Finally, the band and choir invited the audience to join in singing carols. This brought to an end a well balanced and varied programme from the two groups of talented musicians.
After missing the previous 27 concerts, I hope to be among the audience again next year.