Concert Information - Concert Review Christmas 2015
Paddock Wood Choral Society’s programme subtitled “Christmas Around the World”, performed at St Andrew’s Church on Saturday 12th December 2015, was a glorious mix of familiar and less well known Christmas music. A star studded cast of musicians entertained and delighted a capacity audience who shared in the general spirit of celebration, albeit tinged with regret as they said farewell to their Music Director, Adrian Pitts, with whom they have worked for ten years.
Central to the evening was the Choral Society, whose fifty members brought all their skills and enthusiasm to a varied and challenging programme. Vivaldi’s Gloria is a longstanding favourite with amateur choirs and the Choral Society clearly relished the opportunity to perform it on Saturday. There were some carefully balanced harmonies and clear articulation in the slower movements and the final Amen brought the work to a close with some lively and energetic part singing.
Rachel Balcombe – oboe, Kevin Ashman – trumpet, and Hannah Morten – cello were joined by Paul Jeffery on organ to provide the orchestral accompaniment for the performance. The sparkling oboe and trumpet duet in the outer movements generated vitality and excitement, Rachel Balcombe’s obbligato oboe part in Domine Deus was elegant and stylish and Hannah Morten provided a reliable continuo bass throughout, most especially in the demanding solo part in Domine Deus, Agnus Dei.
The two vocal soloists, Megan Pitts and Josie Hawthorn, were poised and intelligent in their realisation both of the solos and of the duet where their ensemble was very secure. These will be young local musicians to watch in the future as they develop further their vocal and musical skills.
Moving on we were offered a veritable feast of musical items. Guest Artist Kevin Ashman’s brilliant “Christmas Runaround” by Paul Sharman not only kept the audience working hard to identify all the carol excerpts in this highly original piece, but also marvelling at the virtuoso trumpet playing.
The TGS Motet Choir conducted by Adrian Pitts lived up to their distinguished reputation with a varied programme of carols – “O Holy Night” by Adolphe Adam with some beautifully blended and well-tuned part singing and “Going Up Yonder” by Walter Hawkins in surround sound with some impressive antiphonal singing. “Christmas Bells” was arranged by Adrian Pitts whose inspirational relationship with the choir was evident in the immediacy of their response. Their stunning encore “Happy Land” gave evident pleasure to both the young singers and to their admiring audience and it was lovely to hear Natalie Jobbins, a Year 13 student accompanying the choir so expertly.
The remainder of the programme included a wide variety of carols – five for the Choral Society alone, five for audience participation and “A Christmas Blessing” by Philip Stopford for combined choirs. Lully, Lulla, Lullay and a Polish Carol Lulajze saw some well blended choral singing with nicely managed sonorities and careful tuning. “The Three Drovers” from the Australian Outback was lively and well characterised, even including the wearing of appropriate headgear, whilst John Rutter’s “All Bells in Paradise” was flexibly sung and captured much of his inimitable and endearing style. “The Shepherd’s Song” with words by George Herbert and music by Bob Chilcott was sensitively handled by the choir with beautiful solo singing by soprano Rachel Balcombe and an atmospheric muted trumpet from Kevin Ashman. “A Christmas Blessing” was something of a highlight with its combined choirs. The young singers gained from the secure foundations of the choral society whilst the choir members in turn rejoiced in the energy and joie de vivre of the young voices. A winning collaboration.
The audience clearly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the old traditional carols and responded vigorously to the encouragement of the conductor. This was truly splendid congregational singing opening the door to the Christmas season.
The whole evening gave great pleasure to all involved but above all tribute must be paid to the two musicians who made it all possible. Paul Jeffery played a critical role throughout with his sensitive continuo playing, his versatile and accomplished keyboard accompaniments and his magnificent lead from the main organ in the audience carols ably assisted by his young companion. Above all, the Music Director Adrian Pitts, managed brilliantly to conjure up a veritable kaleidoscope of seasonal music from the resources he had so expertly assembled and whom he led with such distinction. He will be sorely missed but his contribution over the past ten years will undoubtedly be remembered.
Marjorie Ayling
Paddock Wood Choral Society’s programme subtitled “Christmas Around the World”, performed at St Andrew’s Church on Saturday 12th December 2015, was a glorious mix of familiar and less well known Christmas music. A star studded cast of musicians entertained and delighted a capacity audience who shared in the general spirit of celebration, albeit tinged with regret as they said farewell to their Music Director, Adrian Pitts, with whom they have worked for ten years.
Central to the evening was the Choral Society, whose fifty members brought all their skills and enthusiasm to a varied and challenging programme. Vivaldi’s Gloria is a longstanding favourite with amateur choirs and the Choral Society clearly relished the opportunity to perform it on Saturday. There were some carefully balanced harmonies and clear articulation in the slower movements and the final Amen brought the work to a close with some lively and energetic part singing.
Rachel Balcombe – oboe, Kevin Ashman – trumpet, and Hannah Morten – cello were joined by Paul Jeffery on organ to provide the orchestral accompaniment for the performance. The sparkling oboe and trumpet duet in the outer movements generated vitality and excitement, Rachel Balcombe’s obbligato oboe part in Domine Deus was elegant and stylish and Hannah Morten provided a reliable continuo bass throughout, most especially in the demanding solo part in Domine Deus, Agnus Dei.
The two vocal soloists, Megan Pitts and Josie Hawthorn, were poised and intelligent in their realisation both of the solos and of the duet where their ensemble was very secure. These will be young local musicians to watch in the future as they develop further their vocal and musical skills.
Moving on we were offered a veritable feast of musical items. Guest Artist Kevin Ashman’s brilliant “Christmas Runaround” by Paul Sharman not only kept the audience working hard to identify all the carol excerpts in this highly original piece, but also marvelling at the virtuoso trumpet playing.
The TGS Motet Choir conducted by Adrian Pitts lived up to their distinguished reputation with a varied programme of carols – “O Holy Night” by Adolphe Adam with some beautifully blended and well-tuned part singing and “Going Up Yonder” by Walter Hawkins in surround sound with some impressive antiphonal singing. “Christmas Bells” was arranged by Adrian Pitts whose inspirational relationship with the choir was evident in the immediacy of their response. Their stunning encore “Happy Land” gave evident pleasure to both the young singers and to their admiring audience and it was lovely to hear Natalie Jobbins, a Year 13 student accompanying the choir so expertly.
The remainder of the programme included a wide variety of carols – five for the Choral Society alone, five for audience participation and “A Christmas Blessing” by Philip Stopford for combined choirs. Lully, Lulla, Lullay and a Polish Carol Lulajze saw some well blended choral singing with nicely managed sonorities and careful tuning. “The Three Drovers” from the Australian Outback was lively and well characterised, even including the wearing of appropriate headgear, whilst John Rutter’s “All Bells in Paradise” was flexibly sung and captured much of his inimitable and endearing style. “The Shepherd’s Song” with words by George Herbert and music by Bob Chilcott was sensitively handled by the choir with beautiful solo singing by soprano Rachel Balcombe and an atmospheric muted trumpet from Kevin Ashman. “A Christmas Blessing” was something of a highlight with its combined choirs. The young singers gained from the secure foundations of the choral society whilst the choir members in turn rejoiced in the energy and joie de vivre of the young voices. A winning collaboration.
The audience clearly appreciated the opportunity to participate in the old traditional carols and responded vigorously to the encouragement of the conductor. This was truly splendid congregational singing opening the door to the Christmas season.
The whole evening gave great pleasure to all involved but above all tribute must be paid to the two musicians who made it all possible. Paul Jeffery played a critical role throughout with his sensitive continuo playing, his versatile and accomplished keyboard accompaniments and his magnificent lead from the main organ in the audience carols ably assisted by his young companion. Above all, the Music Director Adrian Pitts, managed brilliantly to conjure up a veritable kaleidoscope of seasonal music from the resources he had so expertly assembled and whom he led with such distinction. He will be sorely missed but his contribution over the past ten years will undoubtedly be remembered.
Marjorie Ayling