Press Reviews
The spacious view of the conductor, Andrew Padmore, was a valid and devotional approach that had the virtue of unravelling textures in the Town Hall’s unhelpful acoustic, his more virile moments finding his singers alert and agile. ……the hushed opening told of scrupulous preparation; the sheer weight of tone in the Dies Irae was awesome.
Andrew Padmore, who directed with his usual energetic precision, seems to continue to be able to take the Society on to a new level The improvements made to the quality of sound and vividness of contrasts are there for all to hear.
Andrew Padmore directed the whole evening with vigour energy and a passion for the music as well as for the occasion itself (Harrogate Prom),the latter being exemplified by him amusingly flashing his Union Jack waistcoat as the celebrations reached their climax.
The Royal College of Music Orchestra was under the resourceful control of Andrew Padmore.
The concert was under the brilliant direction of the dynamic figure of Andrew Padmore. His tirelessness and attention to detail was evident throughout the evening. He had brought the choir to their end of season concert in fine voice and through a variety of well-chosen tempi he maintained a momentum and interest for the audience that made the evening truly memorable and magical.
Under the direction of their lively conductor Andrew Padmore, the audience experienced a thoroughly musical and artistic interpretation of this favourite of oratorios. Dr. Padmore clearly believes in keeping this choir on its toes with the choruses being driven along by him at an invigorating speed allowing fugal entries to have an extra sense of musical excitement, yet still enabling the choir to project the words with absolute clarity and maintain a strong sense of phrasing.
This was an exceptionally exciting version by the Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir, and Andrew Padmore their conductor had taken the opportunity of pushing the tone much more towards an Italian sound than is usually heard, and with his chosen tempi in the two big choruses, removed all possibility of any reserve that English choirs hang on to.
All the carols related aspects of the Christian theme associated with the forthcoming time of year and in the hands of their Director, Andrew Padmore, each and every phrase of the text, however familiar, meant something special. He, himself, had arranged three of the carols, two of them being characterised by florid organ parts.
Conductor Andrew Padmore obviously has a close working reationship with his choir and they respond to his firm control.
It is no mean undertaking for a choir to present several first performances at one event, but under their conductor Andrew Padmore’s discipline and artistry it was accomplished with great success.