Herald Singers The Choir for your Special Occasion

The Herald Singers and supporting musicians delivered an excellent and varied concert of music, suitable for weddings, to a large and appreciative audience on the Saturday of Harvest Festival weekend. As the Rector noted, in a week dominated by sombre news from the USA, it was a thankful opportunity to reflect on the joy that music can arouse in our feelings.

The audience joined in with three hymns, The King of love my Shepherd is, O perfect love, all human thought transcending (to the lovely and, perhaps, less well known tune "Highwood"), and the familiar Love Divine, all loves excelling with each verse sung respectively to Blaenwern, Love Divine, and Hyfrydol.

The programme included two organ voluntaries, Nun danket alle Gott, and Sortie in E flat played by David Butler and Michael Thomas, respectively.

Several vocal pieces displayed the changing nature of music through the ages. For example, two psalms differentiated between the traditional Anglican setting for Psalm 67, and the more modern responsorial setting of Psalm 121. Equally the All Saints' digital piano provided versatile accompaniment for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love changes ev'rything, that contrasted with the 17th Century anthem by Purcell - Rejoice in the Lord alway.

Frances Jones (oboe) played Arioso by Fiocco, Wedding for an ant by Mayerl, and accompanied Bach's Jesu, joy of man's desiring. The All Saints' clock striking nine o'clock just as Julia Booker and Barbara Crawshaw were finishing a lovely rendition of Mendelssohn's I waited for the Lord provided an unexpected challenge for two very talented sopranos.

Robin Howles (tenor) and Andrew Howles (piano) teamed up to give us Henry Bishop's My pretty Jane, and, finally, both churchwardens [of All Saints' - but also members of Herald Singers] delivered a highly entertaining piece from Northumbria, Hi canny man, hoy a ha'penny oot.

The concert had been rehearsed and directed to his customary high standard by All Saints' Organist and Director of Music, Nigel Wallington. At the end of the evening a retiring collection raised a most welcome £316 for church funds. Our warmest thanks go to the Herald Singers for their very kind support to All Saints'.