Enkelit are a thirteen-strong female choir based in the North of England. The choir was formed in 2003 by Richard Pomfret to sing the contemporary a cappella music of Finland and Sweden. This unusual choice of repertoire for a semi-professional choir is quite flummoxing, but it nevertheless made for a performance of music I had not heard before, some of which was quite beautiful.
Their dynamics are second to none and they deserve top marks for the most impressive diminuendos, but if they want to perform at a high level they must rethink their physical presentation.
They started with the upbeat ‘Minum Kultani Kaunis’, which made a good vocal impact. It was immediately apparent that this choir possess a strong sense of dynamics, rhythm and movement. Their pleasant blend of voices is a credit to their conductor, Pomfret. However, it did not sit well with me that some ladies were barefoot and that, despite the theme of purple and black attire, they seemed a little messy in their appearance.
Enkelit’s expression was effective in ‘Mieli’, a song which captured the spirit of a girl’s dreams of love lost in the blowing winds. A Finnish lady behind me said their pronunciation could do with a lot of work on their stresses, vowels and inflections.
It was when the choir started singing ‘Tuulen Nostatus’, a pagan spell casting song, that things got a little bit weird. The group, whose singing of the straight Nordic tone sounded very authentic (my Finnish neighbour agreed), started to move around in a half New Zealand Hukka, half Tai Chi state. Why these women thought that wandering around the stage in a slo-mo Bacchanal would enhance their performance is a mystery to me and it detracted from the wonderful work they had put into their singing. Yes, choirs do sometimes move as part of their performance, but perhaps with more subtlety. I beg Enkelit to reconsider this aspect of their show.
Stillness was regained with ‘Herra minun Valoni’ which fell slightly in pitch and lacked overtones, possibly due to the fact it was not conducted or they had tired themselves out!
In the final piece, ‘Enkelit’, from where they take their name, we were told the famous folklore story of a woman whose twins die and how her heartbreak leads her into the depths of despair. The choir were back to their Tai Chi again as they acted out grief and loss.
I could tell there is a great deal of camaraderie amidst these spirited ladies and that belonging to a choir has given them a huge sense of musical fulfillment, as it should. Their dynamics are second to none and they deserve top marks for the most impressive diminuendos, but if they want to perform at a high level they must rethink their physical presentation. A good choir draws us in and doesn’t need cheap tricks.
