We will be routinely adding reviews of Grand Philharmonic Choir performances to our website. We will also be posting videos and other multimedia sources. In addition, this is a place where you can find news updates about the choir.
Below is an example of some reviews of selected Grand Philharmonic Choir Concerts.
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MacMaster steps aptly into Heppner’s shoes
BY STEPHEN PREECE
FOR THE RECORD
KITCHENER
January 17, 2010
The hype was that Ben Heppner was coming to town, and who wouldn’t miss one of the world’s great dramatic tenors singing Edward Elgar’s master work The Dream of Gerontius, a role tailor-made role for his voice and talent?
The first surprise of the evening was that Ben couldn’t make it (due to illness); the second surprise was that they didn’t need him.
Rising to the occasion of conductor Howard Dyck’s final season, the Grand Philharmonic choir, a trio of outstanding soloists (including last-minute fill-in John MacMaster), and the Kitchener Waterloo Symphony combined to present a moving, passionate, and masterful performance at Center in the Square Saturday night.
Maestro Dyck coined this work the linchpin for his final year, and if the intent was to wrap together the best of what the grand institution is capable of, the performers were clearly successful.
MacMaster was wonderful as the dying, mystified, soul-searching everyman Gerontius. He was comfortable both in his impassioned pleas, Jesu have mercy! Mary pray for me!, as well as his more delicately-nuanced and inquiring dialogue with the angel, I wish to hold with thee conscious communion. His round and clear voice transferred nicely between registers and his diction and meaning-filled expressiveness were appealing to listen to. The pure and sincere utterance I go before my Judge late in the second half encapsulated the work in a simple phrase.
Local favourite bass-baritone Daniel Lichti filled the great hall with his stentorian vocal prowess, first as Priest, and later as the Angel of Agony. His parts, while much shorter than the other soloists, played a substantial role, heightening the drama and providing a contrasting male timbre. Lichti sang with conviction and authority, a burnished, solid tone, wonderfully deep and resonating.
Likewise, Susan Platts with her reverberating mezzo, fit well the role of Angel. Taking on the pivotal mediating buffer between heaven and earth, Platts finessed the challenge with aplomb. Her voice had a deep, creamy richness to it, while physically invoking calm and assuredness.
A particularly poignant section, Yes, for one moment thou shalt see thy Lord, struck an emotional high point.
Gerontius is very much a symphonic work with the instrumental elements closely intertwined with their choral counterparts. No particular player or section of the KWS stood out individually, though the group overall was noticeably engaged and expressive in this uncommon work.
The hushed and delicate instrumental section immediately after the intermission with its floating, ethereal essence was breathtaking, wonderfully setting the tone for the dramatic depth and involvement of Part Two.
The choir had a stellar evening. Their first entry as Assistant conveyed Serenity smooth and fully-blended though quietly intense.
In contrast, their Demons were crisp, gritty, and visceral Low born clods of brute earth. There was a palpable feeling of wrath and fury as the choristers sung out into the hall with abandonment.
Another standout choral section was the Choir of Angelicals with its contrasting female lines and otherworldly essence.
Overall, the choristers were obviously well-rehearsed, confidently engaged and fully up to the broad range of expressiveness in their varied and demanding roles.
At the final Amen, maestro Dyck paused noticeably before putting his baton to rest — perhaps relishing a moment of deep, well-deserved satisfaction, and perhaps also not quite wanting it to be over. The audience then erupted into heartfelt and spontaneous applause.
Philharmonic delivers St. Matthew Passion grand in scale, style
STEPHEN PREECE
FOR THE WATERLOO REGION RECORD
KITCHENER
April 13, 2009
Rising to the particular anticipation for this year's Easter concert, the Grand Philharmonic Choir delivered an exceptional rendition of Bach's St. Matthew Passion Friday night at the Centre in the Square.
The drama outside the concert hall included the near-death of the choir itself, hit by vexing financial troubles, as well as the recent announcement that longtime conductor Howard Dyck will retire at the end of next season. After a career spanning the better part of four decades, this would necessarily be his last St. Matthew and a near-capacity audience emerged to pay their respects.
A more talented lineup of soloists would be difficult to imagine -- particularly given the Good Friday demands placed on this group, many of whom count among the elite of their immensely competitive field.
As the ever-present storyteller, Evangelist Rufus Muller was nothing short of superlative. Performing without score, the tenor ferried the magnum opus along with extraordinary feeling, expression, and drama, infusing it with an essential lifeblood of meaning and purpose. His rendition was fully operatic in range, chronicling the progressive anxiety and pathos of the crucifixion, using his entire body to animate the unfolding drama. The nuance and fine-hued texture of his pure and supple voice was a pleasure throughout the evening.
The other standout soloist was counter-tenor Daniel Taylor. Bringing musical resonance to every note, his ability to transcend technique and unveil the purest emotional essence was an ideal fit. Some of the most touching and tender expressions were given to his exquisite care ("If the tears on my cheeks can accomplish nothing, then take my heart!").
Now an international sensation (exclusive recording contract with Sony Classical/BMG Masterworks), Taylor is one of many artists whom Dyck spotted early in their career, and he has developed a special relationship with the Grand Philharmonic over the years.
Despite pushing the boundaries of what many would consider a reasonable size for this work, the choir performed admirably. Particularly impressive were the sniping, hissing, and progressively more intense expressions of the mob, which the choir manoeuvred with girth-defying finesse and emotional resonance. The blood-curdling Barabbas blasted anger and venom into the hall, producing a stunning and visceral moment of epiphany.
The choir also gave particular attention to the variation and nuanced expression of the full 13 chorales interspersed throughout the work. Without vigilant care, these traditional, four-part hymns can become congregationally pedestrian. Careful attention to phrasing, articulation, dynamics and the important variations in meaning, brought each individual chorale to life. A quibble with some of the longer choral works (such as the beginning chorus) was the lack of dynamic range brought to bear -- the choir seemed stuck in an expressive band, outside of which existed opportunities for greater interest and heightened expression.
Despite the occasional stutter-step in the transitions, the orchestra was stellar, with some notably sparkling moments for individual musicians. Particularly fine were the duo flute and oboe arias, intimately partnering with the vocal soloists and adding wonderful chamber-like detail and dimension to the performance.
Bass-baritone Nathan Berg, performing cameo roles of the High Priest and Peter in addition to the traditional bass, brought uncommon verve and energy to his various contributions. His delivery on the Mache dich aria -- one of the most sublime musical expressions in the Western canon -- was heartfelt and fresh (despite its late appearance into the third hour of performance and despite Dyck's touch-too-fast tempo for the necessary spirit of repose).
On the whole, the performance registered unequivocally Grand in spirit, scale, and expression -- a true testament to, and reflection of, the choir's storied conductor.
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Dyck passes the baton
After 38 years in front of the Grand Philharmonic Choir, conductor to retire
(from The Waterloo Region Record, March 25, 2009)VALERIE HILL
RECORD STAFF
WATERLOO
Howard Dyck will hang up his conductor's baton, swish the tails on his tux and say goodbye to his beloved Grand Philharmonic Choir at the end of its 2009-10 season.
"It's good for any choir to hear some new jokes," Dyck said.
He's been at it for 38 years. Dyck turned the Grand Philharmonic into one of the country's premier choirs, expanding from an adult-only choir that started in the early 1920s, to a multi-sided organization that includes chamber, youth and children's choirs. And it all came from the man's love of choral music.
"I grew up in a choral community," Dyck, 66, said yesterday, recalling singing in church and school choirs. "Piano was my instrument and I must have considered it as a career."
But conducting captured his heart, particularly in choral music.
"It's the combination of music and words," he said. "When groups of people do this together, rising to artistic heights what no one (singer) could do individually, that's a very special communal feeling."
Early in his career, Dyck made it his mission to provide new singers with professional opportunities.
"It just sort of happened from the very beginning," he said. "Four years after I began conducting the Philharmonic choir, I began working for CBC (radio) and it put me in a position to be aware of all up and coming young singers."
Superstars such as Ben Heppner, Measha Brueggergosman, Susan Platts and many more took their first professional steps performing with the choir.
He is also credited with discovering pianists Olena Klyucharova and Andriy Tykhonov, who were working aboard a small Ukrainian cruise ship when he met them. Dyck subsequently helped the married couple move to Canada and launch successful careers. He said he doesn't have a special gift for recognizing talent.
"I don't always claim to be right in my assessment," he said, adding that when he is right, it is very gratifying.
Dyck is also conductor/artistic director for Bach Elgar Choir of Hamilton. He co-founded Consort Caritatis, a performing ensemble that raises money for charitable causes. He holds honorary degrees as well as the Order of Canada, and is listed in the Canadian Who's Who.
Dyck's career has taken him to 17 countries on three continents and he has dozens of recordings, awards and honours.
As he looks at the choir's future, he recognizes the economy has made life difficult for many arts organizations.
That's nothing new, he said. "There's been a number of crises over the years and they've all been financial ones," he said. "We've always weathered them."
en him to 17 countries on three continents and he has dozens of recordings, awards and honours.
As he looks at the choir's future, he recognizes the economy has made life difficult for many arts organizations.
That's nothing new, he said. "There's been a number of crises over the years and they've all been financial ones," he said. "We've always weathered them."
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___________________________________________________________________________________________Grand Phil's heartfelt call for peace
STEPHEN PREECE
FOR THE RECORD
KITCHENER
February 02, 2009
Saturday evening's performance by the Grand Philharmonic Choir (joined by the Children & Youth Choirs and K-W Symphony) was a bold, and at times searing, musical statement against the ravages of war -- and ultimately, a heartfelt call to peace.
The first half of the concert, held at the Centre in the Square, specifically invoked the horrors of the atomic bombs unleashed on Japan ending the Second World War.
It started out of the mouth of babes. Three simple verses by the Children's Choir at the front of the stage with guitar and piano accompaniment -- each child holding paper origami cranes. Our Wish, was first conceived at a middle school in Hiroshima in 2002, subsequently going viral with over 1,400 versus added around the world.
These three original stanzas were sung with childlike confidence, purity and clarity of purpose -- "why are people fighting everywhere?"
Next, was Canadian R. Murray Shafer's Threnody with orchestra, youth choir and three teen narrators hovering over the stage. An evocative soundscape of voices, instruments, and tape weaved in and around a selection of horrific, first-hand reflections of the bombs exploding and their immediate aftermath.
The repeated "we had lots of pretty flowers in our garden" was interspersed with jarring cracks and rattles from the percussion, souring moans from the deep brass, clanging chimes, and a rapid-fire assault from the marimba.
Successfully invoking the essence of nightmarish lived-experience, this group shined in the incredibly difficult piece.
The youth choir performed expertly with intensity and commitment (hats off to rehearsal conductor Nancy Tanguay), as did the orchestra-navigating irregular offbeats and extraordinary sounds with careful precision and expression.
A final simple, sombre line spoken from amid the rubble: "the faint smell of chrysanthemum alongside my cheek" provided hope and humanity in the otherwise bleak landscape.
Returning from a sobering first half, the war theme continued with a new set of musical textures.
A simple marching snare with piccolo quietly set the stage with the vocal unison, "the armed man must be feared" gathering steam (instrumentation, harmony and intensity) over multiple repetitions, splitting into a round, and culminating in a blustering call to arms.
The rest of this curiously diverse and wonderfully expressive work (Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man -- A Mass For Peace) interspersed texts from the Catholic Mass, Jewish and Muslim prayers (authentic utterances from local religious leaders), as well as texts from Japanese, Hindu, and British literary traditions.
The appeal of Jenkins' music was in establishing a relatively simple and well-defined theme (none particularly complex), with repetitions adding textural and dynamic nuance, or in some cases a jarring shift in the other direction (such as with the sudden sforzando "torches!" shout at the end of an extended quiet chant from the Mahabharata).
There were some exquisite moments. Layering over a soft bed of hushed, minor strings, the Children's Choir introduced the Kyrie eleison -- a simple, innocent, imperfect plea for mercy, then taken up by the broad, mature voices of the big choir -- the contrast emotionally salient and deeply moving.
The alternating chorus and trumpet in the Sanctus (building a muted pianissimo to a full blown fortissimo, and back) produced a fine sense of dramatic effect and control. A breathtaking cello line in the Benedictus (echoed by oboe, flute and trombone solos), joined by alternating male and female chorus, was a divine moment of grace.
The Jenkins piece was an excellent artistic fit -- the well-rehearsed adult choir sang with musical authority, conviction and expression; the orchestra provided expert musicianship through a winding and varied musical landscape; and the Children's choir chimed in with essential colour.
The overall program was a daring and inspired undertaking -- squarely addressing some of the most grim and troubling themes of our day, through the powerful and cathartic power of musical art.
Congratulations to artistic director Howard Dyck and the musical family of the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
STEPHEN PREECE
FOR THE RECORD
KITCHENER
February 02, 2009
Saturday evening's performance by the Grand Philharmonic Choir (joined by the Children & Youth Choirs and K-W Symphony) was a bold, and at times searing, musical statement against the ravages of war -- and ultimately, a heartfelt call to peace.
The first half of the concert, held at the Centre in the Square, specifically invoked the horrors of the atomic bombs unleashed on Japan ending the Second World War.
It started out of the mouth of babes. Three simple verses by the Children's Choir at the front of the stage with guitar and piano accompaniment -- each child holding paper origami cranes. Our Wish, was first conceived at a middle school in Hiroshima in 2002, subsequently going viral with over 1,400 versus added around the world.
These three original stanzas were sung with childlike confidence, purity and clarity of purpose -- "why are people fighting everywhere?"
Next, was Canadian R. Murray Shafer's Threnody with orchestra, youth choir and three teen narrators hovering over the stage. An evocative soundscape of voices, instruments, and tape weaved in and around a selection of horrific, first-hand reflections of the bombs exploding and their immediate aftermath.
The repeated "we had lots of pretty flowers in our garden" was interspersed with jarring cracks and rattles from the percussion, souring moans from the deep brass, clanging chimes, and a rapid-fire assault from the marimba.
Successfully invoking the essence of nightmarish lived-experience, this group shined in the incredibly difficult piece.
The youth choir performed expertly with intensity and commitment (hats off to rehearsal conductor Nancy Tanguay), as did the orchestra-navigating irregular offbeats and extraordinary sounds with careful precision and expression.
A final simple, sombre line spoken from amid the rubble: "the faint smell of chrysanthemum alongside my cheek" provided hope and humanity in the otherwise bleak landscape.
Returning from a sobering first half, the war theme continued with a new set of musical textures.
A simple marching snare with piccolo quietly set the stage with the vocal unison, "the armed man must be feared" gathering steam (instrumentation, harmony and intensity) over multiple repetitions, splitting into a round, and culminating in a blustering call to arms.
The rest of this curiously diverse and wonderfully expressive work (Karl Jenkins' The Armed Man -- A Mass For Peace) interspersed texts from the Catholic Mass, Jewish and Muslim prayers (authentic utterances from local religious leaders), as well as texts from Japanese, Hindu, and British literary traditions.
The appeal of Jenkins' music was in establishing a relatively simple and well-defined theme (none particularly complex), with repetitions adding textural and dynamic nuance, or in some cases a jarring shift in the other direction (such as with the sudden sforzando "torches!" shout at the end of an extended quiet chant from the Mahabharata).
There were some exquisite moments. Layering over a soft bed of hushed, minor strings, the Children's Choir introduced the Kyrie eleison -- a simple, innocent, imperfect plea for mercy, then taken up by the broad, mature voices of the big choir -- the contrast emotionally salient and deeply moving.
The alternating chorus and trumpet in the Sanctus (building a muted pianissimo to a full blown fortissimo, and back) produced a fine sense of dramatic effect and control. A breathtaking cello line in the Benedictus (echoed by oboe, flute and trombone solos), joined by alternating male and female chorus, was a divine moment of grace.
The Jenkins piece was an excellent artistic fit -- the well-rehearsed adult choir sang with musical authority, conviction and expression; the orchestra provided expert musicianship through a winding and varied musical landscape; and the Children's choir chimed in with essential colour.
The overall program was a daring and inspired undertaking -- squarely addressing some of the most grim and troubling themes of our day, through the powerful and cathartic power of musical art.
Congratulations to artistic director Howard Dyck and the musical family of the Grand Philharmonic Choir.
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