Contrasting French compositions prove delightful

Two French compositions delighted the audience in a well-filled Dunedin Town on Saturday evening.

As Dunedin Symphony Orchestra guest conductor James Judd said of Francis Poulenc’s Gloria and Camille Saint-Saens’ Symphony No 3 "Organ", they "couldn’t be more contrasting pieces".

The programme opened with Gloria, Poulenc’s six-movement setting of the sacred text that opens with the familiar Gloria in excelsis Deo.

City Choir Dunedin was joined by members of Choirs Aotearoa Otago/Southland Choir, to create an 80-strong group. The additions gave a resonating male presence which enhanced their performance of this complex and demanding work.

The choir’s many hours of rehearsal under director David Burchell — who also sang with them — paid off, resulting in an impressive performance.

Soprano Anna Leese excelled; her strong, mature voice and confident stage presence made it a joy to experience such a gifted performer.

The DSO rose to the occasion, too, from the opening fanfare to the appropriately gentle finale, with the woodwinds standing out as a group.

For the second work, Saint-Saens’ Symphony No 3 "Organ", Burchell — described by one concertgoer as a "master of multi-tasking" — took his seat at the organ, Norma.

The work, a great contrast to the Gloria, was well-received by the appreciative audience, many of whom recognised, if not the entire work, the theme because it was used in the movie Babe.

The role of the organ is largely to underpin the orchestra, although it does come in loud and strong to introduce the finale. Nonetheless, there’s a suspicion that the composer may have utilised the instrument only because of his own background as a prizewinning organist.

Saint-Saens love of German composers, including Wagner, may have influenced Symphony No 3 but that simply made the contrast with the Gloria more marked.

A fabulous French encounter for the appreciative audience.