Twelve brave souls convened at the BMI yesterday, to represent SPS in a lively and thought provoking charity concert. Our numbers were depleted because of illness this week, but everyone sang their heart out. We sang two wintery choruses from Joanna Forbes-L’Estrange’s A Season to Sing and joined in a performance of Karl Jenkins’ atmospheric Elegia.
We were very lucky to be conducted by talented conservatoire student Abigail Neil and our pianist Linus Hughes coped magnificently with virtuoso violin concerto music in Winter Freeze. We also benefited from extra conservatoire singers, including two lovely young basses who grinned at mimicking double basses in Cosy Indoors. We are very grateful for all the preparation everyone put in to learning the music.
The rest of the concert was a very eclectic mix of seasonal music from different groupings of student singers; a stunning performance of Ola Gielo’s Northern Lights, a captivating solo performance of Joni Mitchell’s River, plus some impressive interpretations of Tavener and Finzi. Many people’s favourites were the stylish male barbershop quartet (including our two charismatic bass friends) racing through the Carol of the Bells, achieving great close harmony in Praetorius’s Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen and giving us a warm glow in God Rest You Merry Gentlemen. The concert proceedings were led by the enchantingly named resident philosopher of the BMI, Brother Piran-Maria de Santa Maria, who also read from Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Musically, the main credit for this concert goes to Sarah Wright-Owens, tutor to the conservatoire students and also to Clive, Nick and myself. She is an amazingly good singer herself and slotted in to many of the ensembles, including helping our altos.
Thank you, Sarah for inviting us.
Sue Partridge