Charnwood Voices are in fine voice

THE Charnwood Voices Christmas concert held at Loughborough United Reform Church was indeed a delightful occasion, enthusiastically compered by the choir’s regular conductor Nicholas Scott-Burt.

Many musical styles and talents were on display, and the occasion featured no fewer than three premieres – two fine contrasting carols by choir member Jack Shaw, and another imaginative one by the conductor’s son Harry.

Earlier Nicholas and Harry had combined to perform Dvorak’s Rondo for piano and cello, in which the young cellist produced a splendid sound from his instrument’s lower register and handled almost all the fiendish passages with aplomb.

Violinist Cathy and percussionist Miles joined Nicholas and Harry to form the excellent Scott-Burt Ensemble for some seasonal music, a large audience sang traditional carols enthusiastically, and there were three prose readings for the Christmas season.

Charnwood Voices is a fine choir, in excellent form for the 20th century English carols that dominated the programme, and the sopranos and altos sang most beautifully in Northern Lights by the contemporary Norwegian composer Ola Gjielo.

Individual choir members provided solos, two of them highlighting the end of each half of the programme.

Soprano recitatives led directly to Glory to God from Handel’s Messiah to round off the first half, this great chorus finishing on a light, quiet note. And a male solo featured in the final item, Nicholas Scott-Burt’s own bluesstyle amalgam of established carols, which again ended in a simple, quiet way.

Altogether a really imaginative programme that must have sent the audience home feeling happy as well as Christmassy!

By Jim Miller