PALM SUNDAY CONCERT 14th APRIL 2019
This year’s Palm Sunday concert was easily our most ambitious to date. The major work in the programme was Brahms’ Requiem – an emotional and dramatic piece, full of challenges, not least, singing it in German. To help us do justice to this glorious work, we were joined by 33 members of the South Northamptonshire Festival Orchestra and two soloists – Claire Turner (Soprano) and Gwion Thomas (Baritone). Performing the Requiem was challenging, but extremely rewarding and thoroughly worthwhile, and the audience was hugely appreciative.The programme also included Hubert Parry’s anthem I was glad, Antonio Lotti’s Crucifixus and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ The lark ascending. Richard Roper’s rendition of this last work was undoubtedly the highlight of the first half and will be long remembered by all those who heard it.
SUMMER CONCERT 29th JUNE 2019
Our Summer concert presented just about every opera chorus you’ve ever enjoyed listening to; The march of the Torreadors, Chorus of the Hebrew slaves, the drinking song from La Traviatta… The audience clearly loved it and we certainly didn’t discourage them from humming along.
We were delighted to be joined in this concert by The Opera Dudes, two outstanding tenors whose engaging mix of humour and enormous talent had everyone grinning widely and applauding with glee. These two were such fun that we’d love to work with them again.
There is no doubt that performers and audience alike left the concert having thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it gives us great satisfaction to know that we have given such pleasure. We aim to do this in all our concerts, but sometimes, it is patently obvious that we have succeeded.
We were delighted to be joined in this concert by The Opera Dudes, two outstanding tenors whose engaging mix of humour and enormous talent had everyone grinning widely and applauding with glee. These two were such fun that we’d love to work with them again.
There is no doubt that performers and audience alike left the concert having thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it gives us great satisfaction to know that we have given such pleasure. We aim to do this in all our concerts, but sometimes, it is patently obvious that we have succeeded.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT 14TH DECEMBER 2019
A jolly good time was had by all in a packed St. Lawrence’s Church for our Christmas concert on Saturday, 14th December. The programme ranged from Bach to Karl Jenkins by way of a wide selection of traditional carols, albeit sometimes with unfamiliar arrangements. Rowena Gibbons’ masterly piano accompaniment was supplemented by some beautiful trumpet playing by John Bickerdike, not to mention some improvised maracas for the choir’s final number. Add in surround sound to Good Christians all rejoice and bell ringing impressions to Ding dong merrily on high and the outcome was a thoroughly enjoyable performance designed to get the festive season off to a good start.
