VOCES

thank you for a beautiful concert

 - my first ...

I hope ... of many!

-          we enjoyed the concert last night at Buckfast Abbey - wonderful voices.

My partner and I came to your recent concert at Buckfast Abbey. I  wanted to write and say how much we enjoyed the evening. Very special. Thanks to you and all the  singers. Magical!

We thoroughly enjoyed your concert in November - I thought I was in heaven!!  Only complaint is that your concerts are so short!

First of all I would like to thank you and the singers for a most wonderful concert last night at the University of Plymouth for Peninsula Arts.  I am still floating on the sound.  Isn't it a wonderful acoustic in that building?  I do hope to hear you again there.

We very much enjoyed the Advent Music in Buckfast Abbey last Saturday, wonderful singing in such a suitable setting - very uplifting!

This is the first opportunity I've had since the Antiphon concert to send my appreciation of another marvellous event. I was sitting at the back of the Abbey on this occasion so probably  had more of the effect of the Buckfast resonance, but Sally Harper's opening solo set the standard with an entrancing and ethereal engagement. The Tu es Petrus was at the other end of the scale, bold, confident, almost overwhelming and a fine way to end. In between you had an interesting and enjoyable selection which was a good showcase for all your talents.

Just a line to say how much we (that is my husband and I in royal terms) enjoyed the concert last night.  It was truly magical and stayed with us long after we went home.

You certainly have a beautiful choir and I enjoyed the way you moved the voices around. The first Lassus was really beautifully done - worth coming just for that. The Palestrina also. And your last 'recessional' was very effective.

I'd like to say how much I enjoyed Saturday's concert at Buckfast Abbey.  I went on the recommendation of [...] but I'd never heard Voces before and didn't know quite what to expect (Renaissance music sung badly can be pretty excruciating, can't it?!).  Anyway, I was very impressed by the standard of singing  - thankyou.

This is in praise of Saturday 5th.  The first time I had ever heard Voces or been to Buckfast Abbey and I was deeply moved by the performance in that setting.

I just felt I had to say how much I enjoyed Saturday's concert - it is 20

years - when working for the Tallis Scholars - since I last heard such

wonderful singing of this repertoire.  I really regret not bringing some of

my school choir.  Perhaps next time!

Another triumphant success last night. The Ancient was as good as ever, but it was the Modern which was especially exciting and rewarding. I didn't know Rupert Jeffcoat, but his Magnificat was a beautifully balanced and well-rounded cameo. The Part must be really difficult to sing, but you all brought it off superbly.The harmonic tension was so well controlled and the stillness at the end was quite spellbinding. The Durufle had a very attractive internal rhythm which even the great Buckfast acoustic couldn't hide.

From Bob Shingleton's blog 'On an Overgrown Path*', 27 March 2008.   "We had travelled to Buckfast to hear a concert of choral works by the unsung master Philippe de Monte. The music of this 16th century Flemish composer is very rarely performed today (although it is recorded), which is surprising as he wrote 1,073 secular and 144 spiritual madrigals, 45 chansons, 319 motets and 38 mass settings - eat your heart out Leif Segerstam! The intelligently planned and beautifully delivered concert was given in the Abbey church by the vocal ensemble Voces directed by Martyn Warren. There may still be many voices to a part in choirs in Devon and the men may still wear suits, ties and white shirts, but in other ways they are right up there with Radiohead. Here is an extract from the free programme book which included texts:  Concerts are normally free, allowing you to make your own decision about the contribution you make to the retiring collection. After expenses this will be split equally between the Abbey and the Voces music fund. Neither singers nor conductor take a fee. As a rough guide, a ticket for a concert like this would normally cost you at least £8, and we hope you will give generously with your money as the performers have given of their time in preparing and performing."

 *http://www.overgrownpath.com:80/2008/03/what-price-music-of-unsung-master.html