The festive season officially got underway last weekend for the Stratford Concert Choir as the group performed Handel's Messiah.
The performance, held at Avondale United Church in front of more than 300 people, was the first for the choir under new artistic director, Stephane Potvin.
“We’ve worked hard over the last months, trying out new musical ideas and a different way of singing Messiah,” said Potvin in a media release. “For people to get used to my ideas and my way of working is going to take some time but I think this was a very good first step towards that.”
“It absolutely differed for us,” added Dianne Gaffney, who has been a member of the choir for 18 years. “His approach to the Messiah is more textured. He really puts a lot of emphasis on a greater range of dynamics, so not over singing certain parts. That allows the music to really shine through,” she said, “It was a lot of work, but I think it was well worth it. Stephane, in a short period of time, has taken us to the next level.”
Concertgoers thoroughly enjoyed the initial performance by the choir.
“It’s certainly the best one I’ve seen,” said Mary Louise Laberge, who has watched the SCC sing Messiah 15 times.
“The calibre has increased considerably,” she said. “The choir focused on what they do best and that is to sing. There were no theatrics coming off the stage. It was all about the voices. I found it clearer, less emotional. They left that to us, to respond to the words, to the story.”
“It was a joyful experience,” said Brad Stager, a former concertgoer who is now part of the SCC’s bass section.
It was his first time singing Messiah and he said we was "just so happy that I had a chance to perform it.”
“I walked out of the venue on a high," he added.