MICHAEL DRAKE Orford Church

MICHAEL DRAKE

> Orford Church

Much has been and will be heard of the music of Michael Tippett in this, the centenary year of his birth, and no one could fail to be moved by some of his unaccompanied choral works on Saturday afternoon.

The dozen young singers in varying groups conducted by their founder James Weeks, sang with emphatic freshness and the opening Dance, Clarion Air brought a real breath of early summer with beautiful weaving harmonies.

All the voices are quite individual yet each section was brilliantly matched. That they could be powerful as well as subtle was abundantly clear in Four Songs from the British Isles.

From the enjoyable misery of Wilbye's Draw on Sweet Night and the Lady Oriana before returning to Tippett and the Negro Spirituals.

This choir portrays every musical nuance and with immaculate diction.