Enjoyable afternoon of singing, dancing

KNOX Church was the venue for yesterday’s RSA Choir concert, where the choir, conducted by Karen Knudsen, and a selection of guest performers contributed to an enjoyable afternoon concert. Accompanists were Johnny Mottershead and David Burchell.

The programme opened in sacred vein with the anthem Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (text from the Book of Ecclesiasticus) in strong unison with appropriate dynamics, and

Blades of Grass where good diction described the graveyards of fallen soldiers.

There were some insecure patches in the Abba classic

Thank You for the Music , and

The Holy City (Adams) which featured choir scholar Soprano Erica Paterson, but her earlier solo of If I Loved You from

Carousel was an absolute highlight. A second choir scholar Lillian Gibbs, and

Emma McLean joined Paterson for a delightful rendition of the G & S favourite Three Little Maids. An arrangement of Cool Waters, with sopranos Paterson, Gibbs and Claudia Cook providing ‘‘water’’ accompanying obligato was very effective.

Cosmic Jive Quartet achieved a very professional sound as their leader (Dr Ian Chapman) delivered vocals for a chamber musicstyle version of three David Bowie numbers.

Wairua puhou (OGHS and OBHS Kapa Haka) presented several items prepared for southern area competitions in this fastgrowing discipline. Energy, enthusiasm and earnest interpretation prevailed — good luck for next weekend.

Dancers from Bennett School of Ballet entertained with five short cameos demonstrating different dance categories, but appreciating their disciplined standards with impressive movement and footwork was impossible for most of the audience in this venue.

The final choral item was a strong performance of Highland Cathedral with guest soloists, drummers, a piper and ample enthusiasm to appease any lingering cathedral ghosts from this city’s Scottish heritage.

The afternoon was compered by a kilted Scot, Alasdair Morrison.