The music, the ethereal ambience of Christchurch Priory and the quality of the singing and instrumental playing all contributed to an unforgettable evening on February 12th. The unaccompanied ‘Third Psalter Tune’ by Thomas Tallis set the tone flowing effortlessly into a wonderful performance of the Fantasia on a Theme by Vaughan Williams where the original melody was interwoven and transformed into a wonderful piece for string orchestra, solo string quartet and a second orchestra. The acoustics of the Priory leant itself beautifully to the warm and rich sounds of the orchestra skilfully conducted by Miss McKinley, Head of Strings.
The Brahms Requiem was simply a ‘tour de force’ with a choir comprising the Choral Society, the Chapel Choir and the Junior Choir. They were joined by soprano soloist, Jacqueline Foan and baritone, Jonathan Prentice. The Requiem is certainly a meaty work with some tricky fugal movements and many long sustained high passages of singing. David Warwick, as the conductor, brought together a largely professional orchestra and an enormous choir to produce a wonderfully rich and expressive sound.
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