Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
The Manama Singers gave their long-awaited first concert of the year in Manama last Friday.
Sadly, the wait had been too long for many. It was a much-depleted audience that greeted the singers, led by Leah Churchill their musical director, as they entered the hotel’s concert hall.
Indeed when I looked at the programme and realised that there were only going to be 26 singers in total, I have to admit my heart sank. I honestly didn’t think that there were enough of them to carry such an important choral work.
The programme for the day was Sir John Stainer’s amazingly poignant and beautiful work, The Crucifixion. Written well over 100 years ago, it is arguably the most enthralling of all his works.
Sir John was a church organist and I have to admit to having a sneaking desire to hear it sung by the singers in a church setting with the accompanist playing the organ.
That was not to be, however, and in so many ways it really didn’t matter. It was hard to credit that there were so few singers their voices were so powerful.
Each and every word was enunciated so clearly and with such feeling and power that by the end of the composition I was moved to tears.
Utilising Michele Kimpel-Guzman as a tenor was a master stroke on Churchill’s part and shows just how much she has grown in musical stature over the past year.
As I have already said, every performance was beautiful. However, Aurelie Sotto (Soprano) stood out for the crystal-like quality of her voice which rippled over the words, shining light in the darkness of the story and (I hope he will forgive me for calling him this) young Hayden Cox (Tenor) proved yet again that he has the musicality of a singer far beyond his years.
Along with Norman Shepherd and Guy Parker who both managed to convey anguish not just in their voices, but in their body language and a very brief few lines from Anna Thompson Hall, Elizabeth George, Linda Bilton and Tricia Butt, the choir raised their voices in delightful harmony and praise.
After the intermission, we were treated to an all too brief session of spirituals including the heart-rending All My Trials and Steal Away; Aurelie Sotto, Faye Sharabi, Michele Kimpel-Guzman and Stuart Wolfe adding a fizz to the songs.
Gavin Stewart who had so ably accompanied the Singers throughout The Crucifixion gave a very polished rendering of Michael Tippett’s By and By.
Then with two brief spirituals to finish the programme, we were left wanting more.
I know that there are lots of fabulous singers in Bahrain and I also know that the Manama Singers would welcome them with open arms. So if you are reading this and wondering, just email them and become a part of one of Bahrain’s most lovely group of people. Contact manamasingers@gmail.com
– Christine Hasan
