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October 21st 2009 Canterbury Festival
concert
Song for Forgotten People
"A Perfect Setting For A Remarkable Voice"
Please click to read review (Adobe PDF)
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Canterbury Festival - Song for Ceylon
October 2005
Canterbury Cathedral
"Vocal fireworks ignite an audience"
Some singers think that the aim of singing is to make beautiful sounds. Angeline Kanagasooriam does not fall into this error.
Whilst she does make sounds of extraordinary beauty, her wide range of vocal colours are there to communicate and not merely to be admired.
It takes courage to open a recital with Handel's Let the Bright Seraphim – a display of fireworks more usually let off before the interval, when the voice has warmed up nicely for the vocal gymnastics involved.
The intelligence was seen at once in the middle section, sung gently in warm, dark brown voice in which you felt the cherub's plump, sunburnt flesh, a genuine contrast to the coloratura passages framing it, rather than the neutral free-wheeling so often heard.
After some more fireworks (Mozart's Alleluia) we got down to the meat of the first half: Schumann's strange song cycle Liederkreis.
Here, too, not only was the singing intelligent – the milk chocolate turned to sharp, cold steel when Kanagasooriam sang of moonlight – so, too, were the chatty explanations of the German songs.
Spencer Payne's accompanying was sensitive, with singer and pianist communicating well.
After the interval she was dramatic in three opera arias, disturbing in the four strange haunting Holst songs, accompanied by violin (also intelligently played by John Mann), and soft compelling in the three Christmas lullabies.
Finally, in two Negro spirituals, she accompanied herself on the on the piano. Jazz and popular singers often do this; classical singers almost never. But it produced a unique and powerful effect, voice and instrument being controlled by one mind.
This was not just a recital for a good cause (victims of the Tsunami). It was stylish (how else can you describe a pink sari with matching candles?) all beautfully planned and executed.
Peter Toon
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Astor Theatre Week
"Supreme sublime Soprano"
Among those present at the lunchtime recital on Friday there was a general feeling that was planned as an experiment for Astor Theatre Week should become a regular feature.
It was, moreover impossible not to realise that it was the quality of the music presented by Angeline Kanagasooriam and Derek Hyde that has promoted this desire.
Angeline is a soprano of immense power and sensitivity. It is not given to all soloists to establish a rapport with the audience at once but from the very beginning of Schumann's song-cycle Frauenliebe und Leben she secured rapt attention.
Her voice was true across the whole range, as moving in the pianissimo sections as when she filled the hall with full-throated tones.
Her supreme confidence with the music she was singing enabled her to explore the depths of this moving story of a woman's love in an interpretation that did full justice to Schumann's music and to Chamisso's poetry.
The role of the accompanist cannot be over-rated and on this occasion Derek Hyde displayed perfect sympathy with the soloist and gave ample evidence of his recent success as accompanist at Trinity College. Following the theme of the song-cycle he contributed himself two pieces by women composers, Clara Schumann's Andaniecom Sentimento and Dora Bright's Liebeslied.
Angeline concluded the programme with two groups of spirituals in the first of which she accompanied herself on the piano. Here again the musicianly qualities revealed in the Schumann were unfolded.
If lunchtime music is to become part of the musical scene in Deal I could not imagine a more auspicious first occasion.
Sion G.W.
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World Vision - Fund Raising for Ethiopia
17th May 2008
What a treat at the supper on May 17th at Petham Village Hall in aid of Lideta, a poverty-stricken area of Ethiopia, to have such good music!
Angeline Kanagasooriam, glowing in her sari, gave us a range of songs, mostly spirituals and folksongs which conferred a distinctive air upon the occasion. We were fortunate to hear a recital by her.
She is an assured musician, covering the loss of an accompanist by accompanying herself. Her manner is relaxed and wining and she offers helpful introductions to some of her numbers, though a microphone would have made sure that her quiet speaking voice came across more audibly. Angeline's singing voice is warm, full, and expressive. Finely judged dynamics conveyed a wide range of light and shade to an appreciative audience.
Trevor Conway
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Fairtrade Celebrations
6th March 2006
Canterbury Cathedral
At the launch of this year's Fairtrade Fortnight celebrations, more than 1,000 people from many denominations squeezed into Canterbury Cathedral for an evening of African music, drumming and dance on Saturday. At the heart of the celebration was a performance of the Congolese Mass – the Messa Luba – by the Madridi singers and drummers, local churches & school children and, Angeline Kanagasooriam, the talented and silver voiced soloist, who sang this challenging and beautiful African mass. The festive spirit of African music filled the ancient Cathedral, as singers and dancers from 'Music for Change' engaged the audience in African rhythm and song. Speaking on behalf of Christian Aid, Holly Ellson said: “Every time you choose to buy Fairtrade, you may be adding a slight cost to your shopping basket. But because of you decision, somebody on the other side of the world has just received a fair wage for their hard work. Your purchase speaks of your refusal to exploit the poor.” She continued “The Bishop may lead us and encourage us, but he can't do our shopping for us! We all need to respond individually and, as part of this movement for justice, change the world in our own shopping baskets.”
Canterbury's Anglican Diocesan Synod voted overwhelmingly last May to support the campaign for Canterbury to become a fairtrade Diocese. Over 50 parishes have already pledged to use excusively Fairtrade tea and coffee. Only 35 more parishes are required to achieve Fairtrade status. “Put your faith in Fairtrade” is the key message of the campaign.
Canterbury has excellent reasons to celebrate Fairtrade fortnight. Canterbury district has just been declared as the 150th Fairtrade Town in the country and the first Fairtrade District in Kent. The University of Kent has recently attained Fairtrade University Status and Canterbury Cathedral has also been recognised as a Fairtrade Church.
Elizabeth Appleyard and Catholic Herald