Brampton Festival Singers

Overview
What a fantastic way to start your season, this was a wonderfully inspired evening of music. I was tremendously impressed by the scope of the concert; including Alpen Horns, costumes, world class piano performances, children’s choirs, small ensemble performances and the full choir. I was also very pleased to see that you were able to maintain the intimate community feeling in the Rose that you were able to create in the other venues I saw you perform in last year, it seems apparent that there is a strong vision behind putting a BFS concert together.

I was very impressed at the creative and thoroughly effective way that you integrated a few spotlight opportunities for members of the group. Not only did they sound great on their own, but it really did open up a great deal of sonic variety as far as the concert was concerned.

Including Sarah Choi as part of your program was a wonderful idea, keeping true to a tribute to the sound of music. While I’m sure it was a tremendous treat for her to perform on the wonderful piano in the Rose, it was also a very enriching experience for all who engaged in her impeccable and inspired performances. I think that the Liszt piece and the
Beethoven variations were great choices to highlight Sarah and the piano.

General Points
As far as your overall sound, I think that you are sounding fantastic. There is great energy, clear insight on the phrasing and a well engaged approach to dynamic and articulatory variety. With very few exceptions your balance and control is superb.

Specific Points…
“The Alpen Horns”
This was a wonderful was to start the show; this was most likely the only time that many in the audience will have a chance to ever see to instruments like this played live—a great treat.

“Praeludium”
-very pretty start, wonderful tone and phrasing
-great balance with voices and piano
-good tempo shift
-impressive ending

“The Sound of Music”—arr. R Hennig
-good work with the intonation and balance
-great accuracy, though some voices are slipping from the group—need to make sure that all attacks and endings are together
-fantastic job with the balance
-wonderful flow and phrasing—energy and intensity great
-good implementation of song ranged dynamic development
-watch the balance of the upper sp on the peak notes
-good sound from the tenors and basses, nice balance and tone
-the piano accompaniment was ideal

“Maria”
-great way to highlight some of the individual members of you group—all have lovely voices, this was very well done
-each of the singers did a wonderful job singing with a clear and believable character
-great balance
-wonderful job with the phrasing, you fit all the parts together flawlessly
-great intonation

“I Have Confidence”
-very nice sound from the stage—well balanced, good power
-nice work putting the sing-a-long words on the screen

“My Favorite Things”
While I believe that you did sound very good here, I was seated in front of a very enthusiastic singer who prevented me from hearing any detail.

“Something Good”
-energy level here seemed a bit too low, hesitant on the phrasing
-speeding this up by about 10-15% would be effective
-very good balance and dynamic range
-some voices not moving together

The Brampton Festival Youth Choir
“Do-Re-Mi”
-great costumes
-great job singing out loud, very impressive full sound
-good clear diction
-terrific energy
-good job with the dynamics
“Make a Difference”
-nice big sound
-good job with the key change

“So long, Farewell”
-again, great sound—it is so nice to see all looking up and singing out
-very nice energy
-good clear pronunciation
-could have given a solo or two here on one of the verses

“Edelweiss”
-great idea to use the guitars, very good way to open up the sonic variety
-nice to see you providing another solo opportunity for you members
-tremendously intense heartwarming sound when the full chorus joined in
-terrific balance and touching presentation—wonderful


“Sixteen going on Seventeen”
-good sound coming from the stage, however the sing-a-long obscured any details

“Arioso”—Handel, arr. R. Hennig
-balance between the choir and the piano are not quite right, too much low end on the piano
-nice low end sound from the tenors and basses

“An Ordinary Couple”
-timid start
-nice balance and phrasing
-very nice sound on the swells ups
-it seemed like quite a few were still not secure with their music, it makes it difficult on those that do

“The Lonely Goatherd”
I could not hear details because of the sing-a-long.

The Matterhorn Children’s Choir
“Candle in Your Heart”—Estes
-very well ordered stage entrance
-nicely balanced sound
-watch the cut offs
-nice job with the counter melody
-very well done—lovely arrangement

“Peace I Leave to You”—Mozart, arr. Moore
-some early starts
-nice balance and phrasing—wonderful work
-nice to see everyone looking up and not down at their music
-great ending, well done

“We Can Build a Bridge”—Althouse
-fantastic sound, full and strong—this was a great range for their voices
-not the best arrangement with the recorded accompaniment, very dated and uninspired
-the kids sounded great, would have been nice to have the main choir join in at some point here

“Uma Familia”—Althouse
-good work with the clear articulation
-very good work on learning this music so well, some complicated changes here
-PA balance is too low
-the main choir should have joined in here
-good job with the groove

“Climb Every Mountain”
-great way to end the show
-wonderful rich sound
-men getting drowned out here, too far back on the stage, though there is not really much that you could do about this other that have unidirectional mics on them from above
-some sp’s singing sharp
-fantastic ending

“Phantom of the Opera”
-nice way to put a Halloween twist on the concert
-very good balance and energy
-good sound from the men,

Think of Me
-too staccato with the lyrics, need to be more lyrical
-intonation problems
-men having phrasing problems here again

Angel of Music
-nice start
-well balanced and phrased
-good work sp section
-tenors and basses better here but still seem to be having some troubles singing the line, they keep singing the notes

All I Ask of You
-nice sound from the men but still some intonation and phrasing problems
-not all moving together
-wonderful sound from the altos and sopranos

Wishing…
-very well balanced
-nice lyrical phrasing

Past the Point of no Return
-good sound
-there could have been a little more character distinction from the previous theme group
-excellent ending!