An audience of about 70-80 braved the weather on Saturday, 14th November to attend our Autumn Concert. Mark had put together an interesting programme of seventeenth and eighteenth century pieces.
We started with Purcell’s “Come, Ye Sons of Art”. Included in this was the well-known, “Sound the Trumpet”, beautifully sung by our guest soloists, Liz Priday and Flora York Skinner. Robert Marson completed the trio of soloists, who all delighted us with their competent performances in solos, duets and trios. The choir confidently affirmed that which had been sung by the soloists.
The second piece was Handel’s well-known and loved “Cuckoo and the Nightingale” organ concerto. Here Meirion Wynn Jones excited us with his usual flair on the organ. He was ably and sensitively accompanied by the guest chamber orchestra.
Finally we came to Handel’s “Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne”. This work has the subtitle, “Ode for Peace” – thus marking the fact that Queen Anne’s diplomats had managed, with the Treaty of Utrecht the previous year, to negotiate an end to the War of Spanish Succession. Again our soloists performed with musicality and skill, supported competently by the choir.
We wish to thank all who attended on such a blustery night. Our sincere thanks also go to our wonderful guest soloists, the chamber orchestra and not least to Mark Duthie, our conductor and Meirion Wynn Jones, our accompanist, whose unfailing good humour and musicality make Wednesday night rehearsals such a pleasure.
With apologies to Meirion for borrowing part of his programme notes!
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