Reviews 2006/07 season

"An English Summer from Purcell to Pop", June 2007

The Market Harborough Choral Society is 40 years old this year, and on Saturday night they honoured three members with a presentation. Sheila Nunn, Bernard Colyer, and Roland Whatton have been in the choir since it began. The choir numbers around 70 now and at this concert they certainly showed their versatility. The music chosen, all by English composers from Elgar, Purcell and Handel, to Harrison, Lennon and McCartney and Lloyd Webber, was selected for a summer evening. So we had "Here comes the Sun", and perhaps more appropriately for this June, "As Torrents in Summer"! My personal favourite was a straight, and very sweet, rendition of "Christopher Robin is saying his prayers", it quite took me back to my childhood.

There was plenty of unaccompanied choral singing, readings from John Clare, Jane Austen and Pam Ayres and a chance for individual members of the choir to solo. Clare Davies sang "Where Corals Lie" in her warm contralto voice. Trevor Hazlewood showed again what a fine voice he has with "The Vagabond". Janice Doncaster sang a Shakespeare sonnet and hauntingly singing "Dido's Lament", in a strong alto voice, Jane Callaghan sounded just like Alison Moyet. Her "Remember me" sent prickles down the spine. We even had a Cornish folk song sung as a Barbershop Quartet, with Lady Tenor Sarah Lupton soloing.

However, choir members do more than just sing! Christine Hodgson and Celia Lever - Jones played "English Country Garden" in a piano duet and the surprise of the evening was John Garratt on the ukelele, quite out-doing George Formby with "Leaning on a Lamp-post".

The concert finished with songs from "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat". It was an uplifting ending to a very entertaining evening and thanks must go to musical director Anselm Kersten and accompanist Alan Barraclough. Here's to the next 40 years!