Reviews 2011/12 Season

An Elizabethan Serenade, Summer 2012

An audience of 150 plus were entranced by a magical night of choral music from the MHCS celebrating sixty years of music from Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, interspersed with items from the first Elizabethan age.

The evening quality was set by Christine Hodgson & Celia Lever-Jones playing a medley of English folk tunes on the piano as the audience settled and the choir arrived. Special guests included Jeanne Moore as compere, the Clack Hill Recorder Consort and the Naseby School Choir; the latter setting a challenge to the audience with the football fraternity singing Oh When the Saints Go Marching In, and then the rugby fraternity singing Swing Low Sweet Chariot, whilst the angelic voices of the school choir sailed above all.

As you would expect from such a progressive choral society, three new soloists from the choir were invited to perform and did so admirably; together with MHCS stalwarts showcasing their skills. Benjamin Britten’s Gloriana was an appropriate programme choice, and his arrangement of the National Anthem was used to start, and with audience participation complete, the second half of the concert. Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen) stole the show, energetically performed by a small group accompanied by Society Chairman, Steve Pointer, on piano.

As a final comment, the venue was resplendently decorated as if we were entering a sumptuous royal apartment and delicious refreshments were enjoyed at the interval representing food and drink popular over the last sixty years.

Stephanie Tacey

Jenkins' Requiem, 19 November 2011

"....exceeded all expectations"

".....a sensitive and cathartic rendition of this challenging work"

There is something about Karl Jenkins’ musicality that brings out the best in the Market Harborough Choral Society.

A few years ago they performed possibly one of their most ambitious concerts The Armed Man at The Octagon, Welland Park to great acclaim.

This time, superbly accompanied by the Bardi Sinfonia, they again exceeded all expectations.

The Robert Smyth Academy Hall on this occasion hosted the 20-plus strong Bardi – complete with three specialist percussionists, a harpist and a flautist- and the 60-strong Market Harborough Choral Society to an appetiser of works by two famous British composers: Henry Purcell and George Frederic Handel, together with the often heard on Classic FM but never bettered than when played live, the classy and sublime Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings.

That, was merely the starter before the main course.

The Requiem, music interwoven with Haiku – exquisite Japanese 17-syllable poems followed.

The choir and orchestra were matchless in producing a sensitive and cathartic rendition of this challenging work.  The superb flautist, in particular, enhanced the Japanese flavours.

Barbara Pickering