A Review by Peter Futcher, Musical Director

What an evening of radiant music-making this was — a concert that not only showcased the breadth of our choral repertoire, but also the extraordinary depth, dedication, and artistry of our choir. From the first notes of Bob Chilcott’s God So Loved the World to the final benediction of John Rutter’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You, the choir sang with a commitment and warmth that filled the hall with light.

The programme was deliberately wide-ranging, moving seamlessly from the serene polyphony of Palestrina and Gibbons to the luminous modern spirituality of Arvo Pärt, John Rutter, and Bob Chilcott. Each work offered its own character and challenge — and the choir rose to every one with sensitivity, energy, and sheer musical joy.

The first half, rich with English colour and solo writing, displayed the choir’s expressive versatility. Chilcott’s God So Loved the World (with soloist Angela Banbery) shimmered with tenderness, while Rutter’s All Things Bright and Beautiful sparkled with rhythmic vitality and a sense of unguarded delight. Chilcott’s Be Thou My Vision (with soloist Annie Barton Hodges) was beautifully shaped, its long lines carried with quiet devotion, and Rutter’s For the Beauty of the Earth radiated poise and clarity. The Gibbons works — This is the Record of John (with Olivia Tassell singing solo) and The Second Service (with 8 verse soloists in Angela Banbery, Annie Barton Hodges, Sylvia Del Nevo, Olivia Tassell, Sean Darrock, Dirk Riezebos, Alan Moore and Orlando Barton Hodges) — were delivered with elegance and control, balancing Renaissance intricacy with heartfelt expression. Bob Chilcott's Song (with solos from Victoria Rowcrost and Annie Barton Hodges) was a new work to many and looks ahead to our March Concert featuring the Jubilate.

The second half started with Pärt’s The Beatitudes, a moment of hushed intensity that drew the audience into deep stillness before releasing them into the rest of the programme. Next, the choir demonstrated its command of style and discipline in Palestrina’s Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, performed with a purity of tone and unity of ensemble that would have delighted the composer himself. From there, the modern English repertoire brought warmth and humanity to the fore once again. Chilcott’s Even Such is Time (soloist Sally Maclean) was deeply moving in its restraint; Rutter’s I Will Sing with the Spirit and Look at the World lifted hearts with radiant sound and expressive phrasing. Finally, The Lord Bless You and Keep You provided a fitting close — sung with such tenderness and balance that one could almost feel the blessing settle over the audience.

Throughout the evening, the choir’s sound was both disciplined and alive — clarity of line matched by emotional openness. Their ability to move effortlessly between centuries and styles is testament to their musicianship, and to the hours of thoughtful preparation that went into every phrase.

It is no exaggeration to say that this concert represented a high point in our musical journey. To bring together music spanning nearly five hundred years, and to find coherence and meaning in it, requires not just skill but heart — and our singers gave both in abundance.

I could not be prouder of what they continue to achieve: the unity of sound, the sensitivity of interpretation, and the shared joy that animated every performance. The choir sang not only with the spirit, but truly with understanding.

— Peter Futcher, Musical Director