Latest recording: Carbon 12
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Risca Male Choir, during the Carbon 12 performance (click on image to enlarge).
Sing starlight, sing, Carbon 12, sing!
Taking part in special events is not new to Risca Male Choir: invitations just seem to happen when we least expect them to. Such was the case when Welsh National Opera invited the choir to take part in a large-scale project on the subject of coal! Carbon 12 was to be a choral symphony involving the orchestra and male chorus of WNO, a ladies choir, a brass band and an amateur male choir. The libretto had already been written when we received our invitation, but the music had not yet been started. The librettist, John Binias, and the composer, Errollyn Wallen along with representatives from WNO attended one of our rehearsals and promised us an exciting adventure.
By the early part of this year the composition was complete and we received our scores. It was soon obvious that this was as difficult a work as we had ever tackled before, and we have learned some seriously difficult scores in our time. In discussion with Gerry Cornelius, the music director for the project, we sorted out what Risca would sing and what WNO male chorus would sing. Sometimes we had sections for ourselves and sometimes we would sing together. The main learning problems were rhythmic: the music was very syncopated and had many unusual rhythmic features. Also many of the melodic lines were obtuse and not at all predictable; the harmonies were brutally but thrillingly dissonant. As ever with contemporary music of this nature, constant attention and hard work overcame the initial problems to the extent that much of the music eventually got firmly into the muscular memory, not just our music but much of the rest of the work as well.
After spending time learning our parts we got together with the ladies' chorus and spent long and hard working Sundays at the Millennium Centre. That in itself was an experience, working in the large space used by the opera company itself. Towards the end of May rehearsals intensified and gradually other performers joined the sessions. Soloists from WNO attended many of the final rehearsals and were eventually joined by the WNO male choristers, then the brass band and then Jason Howard and Alwyn Mellor, the two principal soloists. It was particularly rewarding to have the composer and librettist attending sessions, visibly feeling excitement as the piece was taking shape. One of the rehearsals was directed by WNO new chorus master, Stephen Harris, someone who was always very encouraging to the Risca men, and finally Carlo Rizzi himself took over the baton.
The dress rehearsals (there were two of them) took place on the stage of the Millennium Centre, another thrill for us: what an auditorium to sing into! Now, of course we worked with the full orchestra for the first time. After the final rehearsal Carlo Rizzi said to me in his broad Italian accent, "Your men are very good, this work is not easy!" He was right there, but it was a good compliment from the maestro.
The first performance was a great occasion. I was in the audience nervously listening for everything that was being sung on stage; believe me, not the easiest of experiences! At the end I was filled with great pride to have witnessed Risca Male Choir working at that level of performance in a major world venue. A second Cardiff performance was followed by a trip to the Birmingham Hippodrome as part of WNO’s touring programme. The final performance was given in Rhondda Fach Leisure Centre and conducted by Gerry Cornelius. It was pouring down with rain, audible on the leisure centre roof, but the performance was outstanding. By now the work had grown in confidence. Risca's contribution was magnificent producing the kind of sound we are used to. All other sections including soloists also responded to the fact that the work about coal ended up being performed in a valley that grew up around coal. The performance had a great impact on all involved and on all who witnessed it.
Risca Male Choir was tested to the extreme with this project, not only from a musical point of view but also from a commitment angle. There were many frustrations along the way (most of those, not of a musical nature) but the Risca men came through them all with great style. We can all be justifiably proud of this huge achievement and in the way in which we carried it out.
The librettist, John Binias wrote to us:
You sang beautifully. By bringing your voices to our work you lent
it something that lies beyond technique, and that no level of technique
could have replaced. Our wildest hopes and expectations for the piece were
comfortably exceeded.
And finally from the composer, Errollyn Wallen:
I can honestly say that working on Carbon 12, both in the writing and
rehearsal process has been one of the highlights of my musical life. I'm
just glad I wasn't there whilst you were learning it or else I might not be
here now! I was so inspired by your total commitment and the talent you gave
to learning my sometimes tricky music. John and I both felt that the success
of Carbon 12 was a testament to the teamwork and faith of everyone involved.
It was a huge responsibility writing about your lives and we felt that we had
to be servants to a bigger idea than our own creativity. We are just so thrilled
that you have enjoyed the journey as much as we have.
Copyright © 2012 Risca Male Choir
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