Wong has long been
a champion of the great English songwriter
Gerald Finzi, and is one of his best
exponents. Having been deeply impressed
by his live performances on a number
of occasions, I was delighted to encounter
his disc containing Finzi’s Earth
and Air and Rain, To a Poet and
I Said to Love. Wong knows these
songs inside out and it is obvious that
he has invested a tremendous amount
of emotional energy in them. He has
a rich, deep, velvety voice that suits
these songs well, an intuitive understanding
and excellent communication of the words.
Wong brings the songs
brilliantly to life – listen to his
amazing characterisation - in When
I set out for Lyonnesse, for example.
We can hear in songs such as Waiting
Both (the emphasis on the "you"
in "what do you mean to do?")
how Wong doesn’t just sing the notes,
but absorbs the words and meanings and
then pours forth the music as the song’s
persona himself – again, hear the grief
welling up in his heart-breaking performance
of To Lizbie Brown. The whispered
introduction to Clock of the Years
is dramatic and effective, and this
passionate and deeply chilling song
is almost overwhelmingly intense - if
Wong wasn’t so totally sincere, it would
be over the top. Similarly, listen to
the power Wong invests in Ode on
the Rejection of St. Cecilia. This
is singing with heart and soul.
Just to prove that
he is not a total drama queen, Wong
is also excellent in the livelier numbers
- Rollicum Rorum, for example,
where he scintillates. Hein Boterberg’s
accompaniment is brilliant - listen
to him in In A Churchyard and
Rollicum Rorum – extremely accomplished
playing despite the difficulty of the
piano line.
The disc is nicely
presented overall, and contains good
sleeve notes from Finzi expert Diana
McVeagh. Wong’s enunciation is excellent
throughout – listen to the start of
Ode on the Rejection of St. Cecilia
- each word beautifully pronounced.
He has a distinctive and sophisticated
voice, and works well with the sympathetic
and extremely proficient Boterberg.
With singing that is confident, assured
and mature, he really gets under the
skin of these amazing songs, reaching
an intensity that many singers can’t,
or would be too embarrassed to achieve.
Gripping stuff.
Em Marshall