A magical evening of uplifting music from Burgess Hill Choral Society

It seems fitting that the Burgess Hill Choral Society’s performance of Joseph Haydn’s ‘The Creation’ took place on one of the first bright, sunny and cheery evenings of April!

Performed in a jam-packed St Andrew’s Church the soloists; Binny Supin Yang, James Edgeler & Johannes Moore, Sussex Classical Players and Burgess Hill Choral society, under the competent baton of Michael Stefan Wood BEM, gave the audience a sublimely uplifting evening of classical music.

There is no doubt that the music of Haydn is infectious and his instrumentation, depicting God in the very act of creation, was brought to life with enthusiasm, energy and excellence. From the opening the ‘Introduction of Chaos’, which was sung entirely from memory by the chorus, we knew that we were preparing ourselves for a magical evening.

The balance between the Sussex Classical Players and the singers was more than effectively mastered and controlled by Michael Stefan Wood. The chorus items were particularly uplifting and it was clear that attention to detail had been paid to the beautiful phrasing and articulation within items. A masterful display and showcasing of brilliantly controlled and contrasting dynamics provided instrumental and vocal colour. The female and male voices, with clear diction throughout, worked beautifully as an accomplished and proficient ensemble.

The baritone soloist, Johannes, performing as Raphael and Adam, had a vibrancy and presence which drew the audience in. Many previous audience members will remember his infectious engagement from the Choral Society’s Christmas Concert. Sussex-born tenor soloist, James, delivered the tenor recitatives and arias with confidence, providing a shining timbre. Soprano soloist, Binny sang the parts of Gabriel and Eve with a pure vocal clarity, demonstrating a competent vocal agility.

Another hugely successful concert from the Burgess Hill Choral Society. We eagerly await their festive offering of Saint-Saëns Christmas Oratorio with orchestral excerpts from The Nutcracker Suite on Saturday 7th December, 2024 – a date for your diaries!

Hannah Frean