"IN his first complete season this choir's new musical director has chosen four contrasting choral works.
Saturday's performance was certainly the most ambitious. One has to experience a live concert to appreciate the
fantastic ability and versatility of this group of singers.
Christopher Finch, the conductor has stated, ‘I believe completely in the power of music to communicate to the most profound
depths of our beings.’
This was certainly true of this presentation where the stunning choral sound was demonstrated fully in the excellent acoustics of the hall.
The mass is a musical setting of the complete Latin Mass .One of his last compositions, it was not completed until 1749 the year before his death.
He completed the work in the 1740's with new sections of the Credo such as Et Incarntatus.
In the autographed score Bach divided the complete mass into four sections: Missa which includes the Kyrie and
Gloria, then Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei. One can appreciate the beauty of the whole work when gathered together like this.
The chorus has the bulk of the singing and in the first section they showed their tremendous ability going from pianissimo to
fortissimo with great smoothness.
We are also introduced to the four soloists where Matthew Venner (counter tenor ) was particularly impressive in Qui Sedes and
later on in Agnus Dei. Frederick Long sang confidently in his two bass arias whilst Alexandra Kidgell (soprano ) was very able
in her duets and solos.
Christopher Finch controlled his singers and the superb orchestra Canzona with great skill."
JOHN PACKWOOD, Bristol Evening Post, Monday March 18 2013