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Mahler's Resurrection Review

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The Key Theatre	The Cockroach Club	Showcase Cinema


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Peterborough Jazz Club	The Met Lounge


Success for 'Peterborough Music Making' (April 8th - 2008)
Good News for Peterborough Exactly a year on from the launch of this consortium by Aled Jones, Peterborough Music Making (PMM) has won an ‘Awards for All’ grant of £6,200. Helmut Cartwright (Chair of PMM) said ‘We are delighted that Awards for All recognise's the importance of voluntary music making in our communities, and the opportunities and enjoyment it gives to individuals. This is really good news’ . PMM is keen for people of all ages and cultures to know what is going within the musical life of the city area and to come and see and try it for themselves. The Award grant will therefore be used to print and distribute leaflets to as many households as possible, and through this information widen access to PMM member group activities. – so watch for this leaflet to come through your door . Visit our website on www.peterboroughmusicmaking.org.uk and find out more about us. The first large scale collaborative event by members of PMM will be in the Cathedral on 19 April. Five member groups will be performing Mahler’s “Resurrection Symphony” which should inspire people of all cultures. Do visit the Events Calendar on the PMM website for further joint events and much more.
Contacts Perhaps you are part of a voluntary group that is not yet involved in PMM – why not let us know. Notes to Editors CONTACT: Helmut Cartwright 01832 272531 or Liz Noble 01778 342855 A Brief History - PMM was founded by 4 local voluntary music groups in March 2006 and now has a membership of 14 local voluntary music groups covering a wide range of interests which should have an appeal to many people. City of Peterborough Concert Band; City of Peterborough Symphony Orchestra; Classic Harmony; Divers Voices; Gildenburgh Choir; Hereward Harmony; Peterborough Chamber Choir; Peterborough Choral Society; Peterborough Gilbert & Sullivan Players; Peterborough Male Voice Choir; Peterborough Opera; Peterborough Young Singers; Recorders Galore; St Peter’s Singers. - As well as wanting to widen access & participation by individuals, & collaboration between its members, PMM will give its members a more effective voice on local musical issues.


CPSO New Year Concert “Waltzing into Vienna” - Sunday 8 February, review © Geoffrey Hindley

First, congratulations to those who rescheduled the concert from its Broadway venue so effectively to the Key Theatre, and commiserations to the Broadway for the disastrous fire they have suffered. Secondly, congratulations to the CPSO for opening the Peterborough music year with such a successful new venture as this Viennese programme of Mozart and Strauss. The ‘Pizzicato Polka’ though rich in string tone was not immaculate in ensemble, actually, it rarely is; Angus Gibbon, leader as well as musical director presiding like a latter day Waltz King from the rostrum, did not always carry the orchestra with him in rubato or stretch tempi passages; and towards the end of the ‘Blue Danube’ we had moments of rather wild intonation. In general, I could perhaps have done with a little more sparkle and bezazz in the first two Strauss numbers. But, under his clearly inspiring direction, these are matters that will be rectified in due order. He had us of the audience clapping quite adequately along in the Radetzky March after only minimal rehearsal!

Rita Cullis, soprano, known on stages across the world from San Diego to Covent Garden, revealed a truly beautiful and deeply expressive voice in arias by Mozart and Lehar; her control, combined with her variety of tone, seemed to this reviewer remarkable even in what is to be expected from a singer of international standing. The measured, unobtrusive but perfect articulation of the upward scales in Mozart’s ‘Porgi Amor’ was classic. The CPSO widens its repertoire of expertise it seems to me, in the discipline of accompanying the human voice with the demands it makes in terms of responsiveness and mood change. Above all, the string section is now so greatly improved in tone quality, ensemble playing and intonation that the brass, woodwind and percussion sections, should look to their laurels. [306]

CPSO and Peterborough Choirs, Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony’, Peterborough Cathedral, 19 April, 2008 review @ Geoffrey Hindley.

A triumph! On Saturday evening in the cathedral the CPSO with Peterborough’s massed choirs and the fine voices of Rachel Nicholls soprano, and Stephanie Lewis contralto, under principal conductor Russell Keable and leader Angus Gibbon gave a performance of Gustav Mahler’s second symphony ‘The Resurrection’ that thrilled with its power and delighted with its professionalism.

They could hardly have attempted a more ambitious challenge than this 90-minute work in which the strings are, from the outset, vital to the entire enterprise. Over the years the orchestra, sometimes challenged in its string intonation, has nevertheless achieved growing authority.

On Saturday the attack had assurance, intonation secure, and the variants of bowing demanded by the score were treated as a matter of course; from the ominous mystery of the grand first movement the ensemble provided a rich platform for woods and brass, or filigree patterns of passage work.

With off stage trumpet fanfares and horn calls reverberating through the stone forest of the cathedral’s aisles and pillars, the familiar glories of the Peterborough brass found added resonance and drama. Such thrills were heightened by intervening sunlit waters of woodwind chords and the passionate solo line of clarinet or flutes.

The cathedral space was lit and exploited to theatrical effect; the two soloists emerged with poise to deliver lines of meditation or joy and then the ranks of the choirs rose with alert intent to deliver the final majestic message of this majestic work, of triumph over suffering, of resurrection. Throughout, Mr Keable was able to vary texture, build climax and shape contrasts with complete confidence in the response of his colleagues and to summon up terrific evocations as of the Day of Judgement from a battery of supreme percussionists.

It was a notable week for the City when our footballers won promotion and our musicians moved to a new stratum of professional attainment.