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Well this certainly was a very interesting concert. Billed as ‘A Concert for Peace and Hope’, it certainly fulfilled the brief.
The almost capacity crowd filled the Grand Ambassador Suite at The Diplomat Radison Blu Hotel with an air of palpable anticipation and we were not to be disappointed.
I have to say straight out that the biggest surprise of the evening was the St Christopher’s School Senior Girls Choir who were superb. I never doubted that they would be capable, but they were so assured and poised. All credit to their musical directors Ken Haggarty and William Goldring.
The concert opened with the uplifting notes of Vivaldi’s Gloria swelling to fill the hall with a bouquet of delight and joy.
The Gloria is divided into 12 sections, each one elevating the beautiful words of the traditional Latin Mass in a different yet dignified expression of sacred works. It allowed the singers to show us what they do best – fill our hearts and souls with the beauty of the music and their voices.
The real surprise of the evening was the Laudamus te which soprano Ericka Nottingham Rawles sang in razor sharp notes whilst countertenor Vaughn Miller sang in crystal clear counter point.
I found myself straightening up and breathing a soft ‘Oh my’ as his first notes burst like fireworks into the auditorium.
Alto Faye Sharabi’s superbly controlled Domine Deus, Agnus Dei and the multi-talented soprano Anna Thompson-Hall’s rendition of Qui sedes ad dexteram were equally as uplifting and delicate.
As always The Bahrain Ensemble gave a professional haunting quality to their accompaniment of the Gloria whilst never overpowering the Singers.
Then, came the second half of the evening and I have to confess up front to being a huge fan of both John Rutter and any Brass Ensemble, so I was thrilled on every level.
Rutter’s Gloria is a much more earthly celebration for the ear and the soul that resonates across age groups.
Employing their amazing ‘Manama Wall of Sound’ and then the eerily, gentle ‘Lullaby Technique’ the Manama Singers held us all enthralled.
The more so as this was a seriously depleted choir in terms of numbers with many familiar faces missing.
Next came the turn of St Christopher’s School Senior Girls Choir who called us to their side and calmed us with gentle renditions of U2’s With or Without You and Hetfield and Ulrich’s Nothing Else Matters.
The concert concluded with Tom Dickson on Alto Saxophone accompanying the choir and The Manama Singers in Hope For Resolution by Caldwell and Ivory.
The young ladies held their own, counterbalancing the rhythmically-hypnotic notes of African rhythms with their quintessentially British ones; the whole was an anthem not to be soon forgotten and deserving of a standing ovation.
The Manama Singers are celebrating 40 years of singing together with many different conductors and singers but always the same joy of singing.
Michael Natzke has brought a more relaxed style to the Singers which relates well to the times we live in and cannot be praised highly enough.
There are only a few days until the Manama Singers’ ‘Glad Tidings of Great Joy, Peace on The Earth, Goodwill To All’ concerts on December 14 at The Golden Tulip Hotel. Don’t miss them. They are going to be great!
– Christine Hasan
