Concert of music for brass, choir, harp & organ

A Fancy of Folksongs by Cecilia McDowall opened the programme with the choir immediately demonstrating its skill in handling these delightful and intricate settings with confidence and accuracy.

The centrepiece of the concert then followed – Benjamin Britten’s great carol sequence, A Ceremony of Carols, in the SATB arrangement by Julius Harrison. In this, the choir was accompanied by the harpist Anneke Hodnett, whose artistry and skill was in evidence throughout, but especially in her chillingly icy performance of the solo Interlude. Also excellent were the two solo singers, soprano Emily Rooke and countertenor Francis Bamford, who shone in the charming duet, Spring Carol. Once again the choir demonstrated splendid assurance and clarity of tone in Britten’s masterly, often challenging vocal writing.

The Festival Singers’ president, Philip Stopford provided a substantial contribution to the second half of the concert: the Festival Benedicite of 2011 in a new arrangement including harp and brass ensemble, (Milton Keynes Brass). Mr Stopford is a distinguished church musician, organist and composer, having begun as a boy chorister at All Saints’ Leighton Buzzard, then at Westminster Abbey, before studying at Oxford University. He has held major cathedral posts in Belfast and New York and so it was a thrill for the choir to be conducted by the composer, responding readily to his direction. The work shows his innate understanding of vocal and choral writing; it is joyful in spirit, reflecting all the gifts from God worthy of praise. The middle, gentler movement received eloquent expression from the soprano and counter tenor soloists.

Another impressive work by Philip Stopford, The Star of Kings, newly arranged for brass, harp and organ, was given its UK premiere, telling the story of the Wise Men following the star.

Another novelty in this imaginative programme was Lucy Walker’s sensitive composition to the favourite words In The Bleak Midwinter, while the conductor showed his musical versatility in the concluding item, his joyous setting of the lovely carol In Dulci Jubilo, in which all the performers brought the concert to a rousing conclusion.

The audience also took part in the festive spirit, participating heartily in four favourite carols, accompanied by the brass ensemble and the outstanding organist, Owen Saldanha.

Signed David Phillips | www.lbfs.org.uk