CELEBRATION OF THE PATRON SAINT OF MUSIC

Gravesham Choral Society provided a fitting tribute to St Cecilia, the Patron Saint of Music, with yet another successful concert at St George's Church on Saturday 20th November. The main work on the programme was Handel's "Ode on St Cecilia's Day" [albeit performed two days before the actual saint's day] and this was received very appreciatively by the large audience.

The piece, first performed in 1739, includes a large number of solos, which were very capably sung by the soprano Alison Smart of the BBC Singers and the tenor Nathan Vale, currently at the Royal College of Music. They were supported by a very accomplished chamber orchestra of 24 players, who all played very well. However, a special mention must be made of the excellent contributions of Tom Lee ['cello], Lianna Jeffrey [flute], Bill Cooper [trumpet] and Elizabeth Norton [leader].

The first item in the concert was Charpentier's "Te Deum", which includes a very recognisable trumpet overture that has been widely used in recent years as the theme for all types of Eurovision broadcasts. This too provided a number of opportunities for the visiting soloists, including Zoe South [Mezzo-Soprano] and Julian Hubbard [Baritone], who were joined for one piece by the choir's Erica Blaney. Again, they all performed very well, as did the choir, who sang the choruses with their usual well-rehearsed accuracy and sensitivity under the masterful direction of the conductor, Alan Vincent.

Copyright � Gravesham Choral Society 2006