Despite David Brophy’s best attempt to persuade us to the contrary, we knew that this choir was not going to be about singers who would be allowed to scratch on stage! “We” being the 4 Dolce representatives at the launch in the Mansion House on Monday 28th November of this wonderful idea. No, the idea of a scratch choir is that a performance is arranged, a work chosen, and places made available for sopranos, altos, tenors and basses, who then turn up, work hard for a weekend and perform the work with a professional orchestra on the Sunday evening. It affords singers the opportunity to perform large works requiring orchestra, but doesn’t require any long term commitment. Of course the singers have to arrive at the venue knowing the notes – this is not a choir for note bashing or spoon feeding.
For Dolce, Haydn’s Creation is a step too far, too soon, and Fauré’s Requiem happens at a time when we will be singing in the National Concert Hall, no less. Mozart’s Requiem though is a gem, and happens during the summer when there are no other Dolce commitments. An ideal opportunity for those of us who are lucky enough to be able to sightread, or learn the parts alone at home.
The launch on Monday gave us a taster – we sang through Va Pensiero, after running through the notes once. Working with David Brophy is like a breath of fresh air – he’s funny, he’s lighthearted, he’s damn good. Laughing and singing together – how much better can life get?
