Reviews by Neville Cohn:
14TH ANNUAL BEST OF BRITISH CONCERT
John Christmass has done it again. I cannot readily think of anyone else who could produce an annual entertainment on a single theme for fourteen years in a row without it ever falling into a rut. The marvel of these recurring events is that they are invariably so engrossing in both musical and visual terms that there's never a hint of familiarity breeding indifference whether on stage or in the auditorium which is usually packed to capacity.
As always, flag wavers were there in abundance, either making use of the miniature Union Jacks left in packets on seats or the dyed in the wool enthusiasts who bring their own. It's an integral part of an event that has found a place in many numbers of British hearts and a good many besides.
BRITISH IN FULL VOICE
As ever, John Christmass' I Voci Singers rose to the occasion. Twenty-one strong, they adapted chameleon-like to the music's every nuance, not least in a beautifully modulated version of Down by the Sally Gardens in which the choir was joined by soprano Alexandra Bak.
Andrew Gardner's Wurlitzer-flavoured delights such as Tea for Two, the Desert Song and Teddy Bear's Picnic would have taken many listeners on a trip down Memory Lane . Whether lurching across the stage as a drunken Glaswegian or delivering a seemingly inexhaustible stream of corny jokes, compere David Hawkes was in his element.
NEW I VOCI SCALES THE HEIGHTS
John Christmass re-constituted chamber choir The New I Voci Singers gave impressive evidence at the weekend of what disciplined vocalising is all about. Traversing a wide stylistic landscape, this ensemble, which includes some of Perth 's most promising singers, sounded as convincing in music of the renaissance as in a setting of the Kyrie by Beethoven or a bracket of spirituals.
In the sympathetic acoustic of Perth Modern School Auditorium, which lent a pleasant bloom to choral sound, Christmass years-long investment of time and ability yielded musical dividends of a most substantial sort. In over a decade I cannot readily recall hearing a Christmass presentation to better advantage.
In A Bracket of Motets by Stanford, exquisitely clear diction, clarity of line and a corporate sound that would have sung as Shakespeare wrote in Othello the savageness out of a bear, I Voci scaled the heights. Brahms' Waldesnacht, sung a cappella, was hardly less satisfying, as were Bruckner's Locus Iste and a setting by Randall Thompson of Allelluia.
This was a model of choral refinement and taste, tapering to an exquisitely hushed close. There was much to admire, too, in soprano Taryn Fiebigs contribution to the spiritual Wade in the Water.
Andrew Gardner's Wurlitzer-flavoured delights such as Tea for Two, the Desert Song and Teddy Bear's Picnic would have taken many listeners on a trip down Memory Lane .
Whether lurching across the stage as a drunken Glaswegian or delivering a seemingly inexhaustible stream of corny jokes, compere David Hawkes was in his element.
THE SILVER SWAN (CD REVIEW)
The Silver Swan is a compilation of choral miniatures ranging from the Renaissance to modern times. This delight, from John Christmass New I Voci Singers, immaculately pitched and golden toned, underscores the notion that the home-grown product is often as good as, if not better than, the imported< variety. The selection makes a compact disc to cherish.
DAYDREAMS ON A VELVET LOUNGE (CD REVIEW)
Recorded in the fine acoustic environment of Perth Concert Hall, this collection is a delight from the first note to the last.
Although the programs of John Christmass' New I Voci Singers are most heavily weighted in favour of the classical repertoire ranging from the renaissance to the present day with a focus on sacred music and madrigals as well as a variety of folk songs, many of its performances in recent years have been leavened by a bracket of classical pops. At the suggestion of many, Christmass has placed 19 of these close-harmony, classical-pop delights on compact disc. And not before time; this collection provides near-untrammelled listening pleasure.
Listen to Deep Purple; it's close to perfection and enhanced by Tim Cunniffe's discreet, idiomatic piano accompaniment. Smoke Gets in your Eyes is informed by a wistful melancholy that is the perfect response to the music. And Tea for Two makes for irresistibly toe-tapping listening.
There's an exquisite arrangement of Blue Moon; the performance is as fresh as the morning. In Georgia on my Mind, however, there is some loss of intonational precision. But this is a small departure from the general excellence of the collection which is enhanced time and time again by the quality of the instrumental accompaniments. In Tuxedo Junction, for instance, Cunniffe at the piano and Chris Boyder on double bass contribute to a near-flawless assessment of the music. It is beautifully sung.
Christmass' direction secures any number of memorable moments, not least in Begin the Beguine, the notes of which are clothed in the most agreeably limpid tone.
Reviews from the Germany Tour 2004
A LANGUAGE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS:
by Uwe Beyer
NEUKIRCHEN-VLUYN Deputy Mayor Kornelia Kuhn doesn't experience this every day. "Pampamdubidubi-duba" was the stampeded rhythm sung by six young men as the accompaniment to 'Tea for Two' sung by the Australian Gospel choir "New I Voci Singers" in the Neukirchen Vluyner Town Hall. With women's voices as clear as glass and as sonorous as an orchestra they laid the melody out over the rhythm. They made it sound easy.
The twenty member ensemble from Perth demonstrated from the start of their German tour with the musical version of the Doris Day classic "Tea for Two" and The "Locus Iste" (Bruckner) that not just ANY group visits Germany . In Australia , the "New I Voci Singers" are one of the most recognised gospel choirs of professional standard. Kuhn and Franjo Terhart - the culture commissioner of the town - were some of the first to hear the group and they gave them a pleasant welcome with a glass of champagne.
17 AUSTRALIANS ON A TRIUMPHANT PROCESSION IN VLUYN:
NEUKIRCHEN-VLUYN/MOERS Australia -the first thing you associate with it are Kangaroos & Koala bears. But who immediately thinks of Gospel choirs?
Up to now no one in the lower Rheine had. Since the "New I Voci Singers" gave their first performance in the St. Antonius Vluyn, then a day later in the Evangelical Church in Repelen, hundreds of enthusiastically rapt listeners were blown away and have therefore reformed their opinions and thoughts about Australia . The highly regarded young choirs' visit was, in Australia announced as a "Little Sensation". The traffic chaos was already a "Sensation" last Thursday night on the Vluyner North Ring.
IRON DISCIPLINE:
The "New I Voci Singers" are regarded in their homeland as one of the best Gospel choirs around. The entry requirements for the choir are extremely high, with the professional standard being maintained with iron discipline and consistent voice production. Besides the love and joy of music and singing, what made the 11 women and 6 men the stars of the Lower Rheine premiere and gave them distinction, was a complete readiness to surrender oneself to the ensemble and to the choirmaster.
GENTLEMAN CHRISTMASS:
John Christmass, a gentleman from head to toe, is an inexorable conductor who demands strict conditions and musical a Cappella precision from his choir. Sensitive nuances, sensible dynamic shading and very clean entries were performed so naturally, almost as if it was child's play.
It was almost reassuring here and there in the classical pieces when the voices reached their boundaries, and were at the very least shining through. Indeed, the people of the lower Rheine area are amply spoilt by having choirs of this standard perform to them.
What "New I Voci Singers" had to offer in the area was top class. It was so moving that it was a real pleasure to listen to them. Simply good. "Over the Rainbow" gave the audience goose bumps. Such was the pleasure of listening to it that they earned roaring applause and a five hundred strong ovation. Behind Kangaroos and Koala bears, they are Australia 's third landmark.