Review of University Choir Performance, Saturday 18 March
by Sophie Mitchell, Student
I haven’t been to a classical music performance since being at school, but attending this performance by the University Choir made me realise how much I’ve missed them. The Great Hall in the Trent Building was a fitting venue for such a breath-taking rendition of Brahms Requiem, led by Calum Fraser’s passionate and decisive conducting. The two soloists were spectacular, and I was left speechless by their incredible quality of sound and the subtlety of their voice control.
For me, what really made the performance was the dynamics. The fortes were warm and sonorous, filling the hall with magnificent layered harmonies. But it was the quieter sections that stole the show – delicate, anticipatory and utterly magical, they created a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere and were the perfect contrast for the louder sections to come.
Though requiems are typically meant to be sung at funerals (as I only discovered after the concert), I found I was uplifted by the performance, and left feeling inspired by a sense of hope on a rather dark, rainy Saturday evening. I thoroughly enjoyed my evening, and eagerly await the University Choir’s next performance.