"Raise Me Up"
Impromptu in concert with the Q Trio
On 27 March 2010, Impromptu returned to St Martin's Church, Epsom for our spring concert. The last time we sang there we were full of nerves, as it was our final performance of our three competition songs before the BBC Radio 3 Choir of the Year final. This time around we were overjoyed to be performing a full concert - a lot more to remember, but a lot less stressful for everyone!
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It is rare for us to perform a whole work, because there are so few available for female voices. It therefore made a refreshing change to perform Pergolesi's Stabat Mater in its entirety, particularly as we were lucky enough to be accompanied by a wonderful string quartet. The work includes several beautiful solos and duets, and the audience was delighted to hear these performed by many different Impromptu singers. For some it was the first time they had performed a solo, but there were no signs of nerves and everyone did a first-rate job.
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The second half of the concert kicked off with Brahms' Piano Trio in A Minor (Op 114) performed by Phil Aslangul, his wife Charlotte and Simon Ferris - collectively known as Q Trio. Phil usually accompanies Impromptu on the piano, so it was lovely to hear him play his cello for a change. The piece was perfectly chosen and all of us were captivated by the performance.
The concert continued in more traditional Impromptu vein, with a variety of songs ranging from the 16th to the late 20th centuries. In among old favourites such as Danny Boy and You Raise Me Up was our debut performance of Prayer Before Birth - a challenging composition that will be the centrepiece of our competition repertoire for the next couple of years. The sustained applause this unusual, dramatic piece received fully justified Debbie's choice, and this spine-tingling first performance will be proudly remembered by us for a long time to come.
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