John Butt and his Dunedin Consort, celebrating thirty years of operations, perform Messiah regularly, though not so often in Perth. The solo quartet are familiar names, with the exception of Lotte Betts-Dean, a new mezzo from Australia, a late replacement for Jess Dandy. She seems to specialise more in recent music than in baroque, but she led her team of altos eloquently.
Nardus Williams has sung regularly in London, including opera at ENO and Holland Park, and had a success singing rare Handel with the Dunedins at the recent Edinburgh Festival. Her tone was a touch dry to begin, but in the second half she was transformed, producing sweet, velvety tone in both her arias.
Joshua Ellicott is also a regular concert performer and recitalist here. 'Comfort ye' was eloquent if a bit wory, and not all his words were clear. He quickly settled though.
Dingle Yandell had a busy week, singing the title role in Elijah on Sunday in Dundee (with the Orchestra of Scottish Opera and Dundee Choral Union). The three performances of Messiah followed on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. He was superb in both works (we saw the Perth performance on Thursday). The Dunedin format, with a choir of twelve, had the four soloists leading their vocal trios in the choruses, and stepping forward to sing their arias. He presumably finds this reminiscent of the decade he spent as a founder member of the Voces8 gtoup. Long may he continue, but will it survive when he starts to sing Wagner regularly? Let us hope so.
There were fifteen instrumentalists in total, including chamber organ, with John Butt directing in his usual lively style from the harpsichord. Paul Sharp was the eloquent principal trumpeter.
The hall was crowded in Perth and the audience extremely enthusiastic. There was a mixture of attitudes to the 'Hallelujah Chorus'. To stand or not to stand?
St Aloysius' Church is a new venue in Glasgow.
Paul Whittaker provided BSL interpretation (Glasgow).
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