Booking the Artists
by Donovan Cattell
PUBLISHED April 2007
In the last issue Malcolm wrote about the process of deciding what Midland Festival Chorus should sing, and he touched on the need to ensure that each October we do something that is a bit special. Worcester is a place with a fine tradition of choral music making and has a number of large choirs performing in the Cathedral. My view is that we get only the one chance to sing there in a year so we need to stand out. I like to think that there are people in the Worcester area who recognise M F C as a must-hear choir, and will come along because they know they are in for something that will be really inspiring. I think there is no doubt that we manage to make it successful each year, not only through the commitment and determination of singers to succeed, but also through engaging the best soloists and orchestras. We also try to depart from the usual choral experience by introducing an unfamiliar element, which keeps the choir on its toes, and the audience doubly interested.
Once a decision has been made about the programme for a particular year, Malcolm may or may not express a preference for certain soloists or orchestra, and this is where I come in as the person responsible for engaging professional singers and players. Costs come into this, of course, and over the years I have developed links with soloists’ agents and contacts within some orchestras, which help when it comes to the thorny matter of fees. M F C is not a wealthy organisation, and often the good relationships built up over time help to get over the hurdle of quotes, which may initially be too large for us to afford. I firmly believe that part of the reason that M F C is so successful is that it has not (certainly in recent years) had to perform without an orchestra: musical reductions for piano or organ can work, and indeed in a number of choral pieces are preferable to an orchestral accompaniment. The majority of the works chosen for M F C have an orchestra as the preferred accompaniment, and the additional musical colours add enormously to the overall experience.
The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, who accompany us this year [2007], is an outfit that has been with us on three previous occasions, and it has been obvious that not only have we enjoyed their playing, but that they really like playing for us. Not only that but the links made over the years mean that I can pick up the phone and talk to Sandra, Head of Programming, knowing that she is familiar with the way M F C operates, and this cuts out much of the lengthy communicating that would be necessary with groups that have not played for us before. We are in the process of developing a similar sort of relationship with the Stratford-upon-Avon based Orchestra of the Swan. They will be accompanying us again next year [2008] in the all-Schubert programme.
Malcolm, in the last issue, mentioned soloists, and we are in the fortunate position of being able to pick and choose from a huge pool of vocal talent. Large fees, fortunately, do not automatically equate with superior musical skills and interpretation. Again consultations with agents, recommendations from committee members, and renewed contacts with excellent soloists of past years, usually result in high quality SATB that we can afford. This year we decided to focus on authentic sound and diction so went to the Czech Republic to find the soloists; or rather I approached an agent who has been able to recommend four young Czech singers with experience of Dvorak’s Stabat Mater. I am going to Prague in April [2007] (I hasten to add at minimal cost to M F C, thanks to Easyjet) to discuss details with the agent, give information and generally ensure that the four soloists are as well prepared for Worcester as we from our end can make them. I won’t go into a great deal of detail about the logistics of getting them from Prague to Worcester, their accommodation, etc. Suffice to say that with M F C there is always much more going on behind the scenes than most singers will be aware of. The fact that all of it usually works without the hitches becoming too noticeable, is the important thing.
We are currently planning as far ahead as 2010, and always looking for some element just a little bit different. China is the up and coming nation with a massive interest in Western classical traditions. Perhaps 2011 will be the year of Yung Lee Sang’s Song of the River Dolphin. By then maybe Easyjet will be going to Beijing! Will M F C be ready?