Musical Director: Edward Taylor

A blaze of evening sunshine welcomed Choir, Instrumentalists and Audience into the beautiful setting of Penrith Methodist Church on 10th May for A Celebration of English Choral Music.

The first half was given over to a performance of Sir John Rutter's 'Requiem' which saw an excellently-balanced ensemble of young musicians playing with great commitment against the vocal forces of Penrith Singers, and what a great transformative performance this created! 

Timpanist Joshua Jackson set a good telling angst from the outset, contrasted by beautiful expressive playing from Harpist Phillipa Smith. 

Choir, under the ever watchful direction of Edward Taylor produced a good tonal balance with clear diction. Only occasionally, in the penultimate movement, could there have been a better balanced sound from the men. Special mentionmust go to Cellist James Heathcote - who for this listener provided a real instrumental 'threnody' throughout the work, with a realsense of musical narrative. 

Other instrumentalists who deserve great credit for their respective tonal beauty, were Oboist Charlotte Saudek and Flautist Ernestine Koo. 

Many of the instrumental soloists transformed their respective skills by becoming choristers in the second half of what became agoodly exploration of English choral music by Bairstow, Elgar, Parry, Stanford and Wadely, interspersed midway through by a real 'sorbet' moment in proceedings from young Pianist Isabella Briggs, who performed York Bowen's 'Reverie'. 

Of the various choralworks, special mention must go to Stanford's 'Beati quorum via' which displayed a good rounded tonal balance throughout, Bairstow's'Lord, Thou hast been our refuge' - here providing a real valiant chance for the tenors and basses to shine, and some really memorable unaccompanied singing with real feeling from everyone in Wadely's 'Peace I leave with you'.

Well done to everyone for a memorable evening of music-making - in an acoustic that was so complementary!