MERRILY ON HIGH!
Chelmsford
Singers at the Cathedral
19.12.15
David
Willcocks, doyen of choral Christmas, who died in September at the
age of
95,
was well represented in this upbeat selection box for choir, audience
and brass.
Ding
Dong ! Merrily on High, with decorative organ filigree from Laurence
Lyndon-Jones, O Come All Ye Faithful, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,
and a
rousing Hark the Herald to start, with fanfare from the excellent
Westminster Brass. We were treated to four instrumental pieces from
them, including a jolly Sussex Carol, two sleigh rides from East and
West, and a Christmas Cracker which turned out to be more of a
garland, a string of carols from Realms of Glory to Wenceslas.
The
choral highlight was Cecilia McDowall's brand new Cantata for
Christmas, A Winter's Night. An
inventive sequence of five English, German and French carols linked
by instrumental bridges from brass quintet, percussion and organ,
given
an impressive, joyous performance by the Singers.
The quintet also featured in Rutti's Three Carols; the Presto climax
a rhythmically exciting Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day.
Plenty
of opportunity for us to match our lung power against the might of
brass and organ, including a lighter Willcocks arrangement of Jingle
Bells. Musical Director James Davy, sporting a festive scarlet bow
tie, confessed to blowing the entire budget for this Christmas
Concert on the band, imploring us to jingle our car keys in lieu of
Sleigh Bells ...
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