Carols for Christmas
Carols for Christmas, Palmerston North Choral Society, St Andrews in the City, Saturday, November 26. Music director Alison Stewart, piano and organ Roy Tankersley. Reviewed by Myra Smith.
‘‘Rejoice, Rejoice ... (Choral Music returns to St Andrews)’’. This opening refrain, sung by choristers and audience together on Saturday evening, fittingly announced both the 2022 Advent season and the return of choral singing to Pathways Presbyterian Church at St Andrews.
It has been more than five years since St Andrews was closed to public use.
As well as external strengthening the completed project has entailed considerable interior refurbishments, to make the spaces more flexible and welcoming for community use.
Palmerston North Choral Society was delighted to present the first choral performance and musical director Alison Stewart chose a programme of Christmas choral music, loosely following the Biblical narrative.
The choir began with a suitably rousing ‘‘Christians be Joyful’’, by the great J.S. Bach. The atmosphere soon changed however as the women of the choir effectively evoked a still cold landscape in ‘‘The Time of Snow’’ by Bob Chilcott.
The piano accompaniment lent particular poignancy to this lovely carol. The choir then relaxed comfortably into the calm regular lilt of ‘‘Lullay’’ by Karl Jenkins.
Irregular rhythms in the subsequent ‘‘Of a Rose’’ were the cause of some hesitancy in entries. A rich warm alto sound was featured in an interesting arrangement of ‘‘Silent Night’’ while the gentlemen of the choir continued with enthusiasm in ‘‘Follow that Star’’.
‘‘Light of lights’’, by Aotearoa’s own Jenny McLeod, was particularly successful, with full cohesive choral sound and a real message for our times.
‘‘Bethlehem Down’’ by Peter Warlock was a new carol to many, with some unexpected but enchanting harmonies.
The audience responded with delight to the women’s performance of ‘‘Fum Fum Fum’’ – an arranged Spanish carol.
The choral programme fittingly concluded with strong affirmation in Bach’s chorale from the cantata ‘‘Wachet Auf (Sleepers Awake)’’.
Instrumental support for the choir was expertly provided throughout by Roy Tankersley on piano and organ.
Two seasonal organ solos were interspersed among the choir items. The audience warmed to the variety of instrumental colours Tankersley skilfully selected. It was a joy to hear this beautiful instrument once again.
The choir, audience and organ all joined together, concluding the concert with ‘‘O Come all ye Faithful’’, it was a grand celebration of the return of this venue for the whole community.
A soaring soprano descant said it all.