TRIAL AND CRUCIFIXION, SUNG WITH PASSION
The Cumberland News, 17 April 2009
Bach’s St John Passion, Carlisle Cathedral The Palm Sunday performance was a truly thrilling account of this great work – a dramatic setting of words from St John’s Gospel, telling of Christ’s trial and crucifixion. Click here to read more...

Adam and Lisa Swayne, The Chapel, University of Chichester
Chichester Observer: 21 July 2008
West Wittering Sailing Club has just placed modern music at the top of its agenda in a magical recital at the Bishop Otter Campus Chapel, thanks to the University of Chichester and a unique bother and sister.

Adam Swayne's customary enthusiastic pianism and artistic brilliance shone through once more, especially when merging with the vibrant soprano voice of his sister, Lisa, in a radiant selection of twentieth century music.

Both the Swaynes instantly demonstrated their balanced family association with a moving impression of an ethereal song by Herbert Howells and, after Ravel's entrancing Jeux d'eau, Adam suddenly became involved in the daunting, avant-garde, "note-cluster" technique. As specified by pioneering American composer, Henry Cowell, he was playing groups of adjacent notes simultaneously with his forearms and hands to create the eerie atmosphere of tidal seas, ending with some artistic string-plucking to re-create the sound of the Aeolian harp! French and German song-cycles followed, his sister Lisa passionately interpreting the story behind each song with poetic stage gestures and facial expression. After some jazzy Gershwin harmony, the audience was to hear more experimental music by another American composer, Frederic Rzewski, once again requiring "note-cluster" – this time with the aid of clenched fist and elbow, as Adam re-created the relentless rhythm and sound of cotton mill machinery, with unremitting fervour and commitment.

In conclusion, the Swayne family combined even more compellingly, brother and sister now performing Three Shakespeare Songs composed by Adam himself – a wondrous finale to such an evening of all-embracing music!
John Wheatley

Varied programme skilfully performed -Chichester Observer, 8th December 2005
The Shopywhyke Singers, Westbourne House School
Review: GILLIAN HOOKER
The Shopwhyke Singers' autumn concert was a treat. This choir is thriving - it has nearly doubled its size and is now over 50 strong. The lines are well balanced and the singing commmitted and responsive to the conductor Alexander Dichmont. The programme was interesting and varied. The main work of the evening was the curious but ever-popular Carmina Burana. Westbourne House School Choir joined forces for this work and the combined chorus had great power and strength, and sang with energy and on the whole rhythmic precision. The tongue twisters in the strange words were crisp. The soloists were superb. Lisa Swayne – a former pupil at Westbourne House – was a sparkling and mellifluous soprano, with wonderful coloratura in the Dulcissime. David Brown, tenor, was lyrical and heartfelt and Robert Rice, baritone, not only sang magically but introduced more than a hint of opera in his solo in the Tavern section by being a drunken abbot – to the amusement of all.The whole was superbly accompanied by Matthew Cooke on the piano and Gerry Berkley and Eleanor Steinitz on percussion. The first half of the programme was more gentle. Tippett’s lovely Five Negro Spirituals worked well, the soloists singing from within the choir. Highlights from the selection of Percy Grainger songs were David Brown’s sensitive Brigg Fair, a charming rendition of Willow Willow by four young stars of the future – Millie Ashworth, Bethan Gibb, Harry Lighton, and Henry Woods from Westbourne House – and a humourous delivery of Country Garden by eight hands on two pianos (Matthew Cooke, Sue Hawkins, Jonathan Ling and Alex Dichmont). The enthusiastic audience filled the Millennium Hall at Westbourne House School. It was a warm and comfortable venue – a great bonus on a very cold night - where choir and audience seemed to feel at home.

EDINBURGH ROYAL CHORAL UNION
ST CUTHBERT'S CHURCH, EDINBURGH
BACH'S St John Passion may not be as lengthy or grand as his St Matthew Passion but it is nevertheless packed with glorious chorales, recitatives and arias that tell the story of the Christ's crucifixion from John's point of view.

Narrated by the evangelist, sung by the silky-voiced tenor Simon Wall, this intense and more intimate version of events unfolds dramatically through the distinctive voices of the characters involved. Celebrating their 150th anniversary this year, the ERCU sung with great verve and urgency in their varying roles of an angry mob, soldier, commentators and onlookers leaving the personal reflections in the poetic arias to the soloists.

These were a fine line-up, particularly the young professional singers: mezzo-soprano Louise Collett, who has a beautiful warmth and clarity to her voice, soprano Lisa Swayne, who negotiated some tricky chromatic passages with agility and tenor Eamonn Mulhall.

Martin Shaw, the Bishop of Argyll and the Isles brought a gravitas to the part of Christ while Noel Mann was a suitably reluctant Pilate.

Bach's pairing of solo voices with specific instruments, for instance the mezzo with oboes, the soprano with flutes and tenor with violins, is inspired and the orchestra, led by Justine Watts, played superbly. Conductor Michael Bawtree pulled all the intricate threads of this complex work together with consummate skill. This was a compelling and emotive performance.

Messiah warms up an ice-cold cathedral
Published on 11/01/2008
Abbey Singers, Handel’s Messiah, Carlisle Cathedral, ON a bitterly cold night, the cathedral was almost full to greet the Messiah, Handel’s, that is! The Abbey Singers joined forces with the RSAMD Sinfonia to give a worthy performance of this divinely-inspired masterpiece, written in just three weeks more than 250 years ago.The choir was in fine form throughout – well balanced, managing the notoriously difficult coloratura passages with some assurance.The more dramatic numbers, like “Surely, He hath borne our griefs” and “He trusted in God” really brought out the best in the Singers.Messiah is reliant on a strong team of soloists. Lisa Swayne (soprano), Maria Brown (mezzo), John Pumphrey (tenor) and Benjamin Weaver (bass) all have fine voices. The soprano and tenor shone brightest on the night.Lisa sang effortlessly in “How beautiful are the feet” and with infectious joy in “Rejoice, greatly,” but tenor, John Pumphrey was the real star singing with poise, power, perception and projection throughout his role, equally at home in both the lyrical and dramatic demands.Conductor Jeremy Suter held the performance together well though there were a few ensemble problems between soloists and orchestra. A wrong entry from the bass soloist, who was also sometimes behind the beat, caused some anxiety but overall the orchestra played well with youthful vigour and enthusiasm and Mr Suter provided inspired leadership.Full marks to the audience for sitting for almost three hours in their coats, scarves, gloves and woolly hats in the magnificent but rather chilly cathedral.
MICHAEL HANCOCK