Herald Singers The Choir for your Special Occasion

It was a pleasure to attend the Spring Concert in Sonning Common on Saturday 27th April given in aid of the Christ the King Appeal Fund. The standard of music making by the Herald Singers and local young instrumentalists was astonishingly high.

The concert opened with four folksong arrangements which allowed the eight singers to display their skill and well matched voices. This section included a spirited rendition of Yarmouth Fair by Alan Bullimore. This was followed by George Palmer and Katherine Lamprell who gave very accomplished solo performances on the recorder of La Tambourin by Rameau and Sonata Brilliante by Heberie.

The Herald Singers completed the first half of the concert with four contrasting pieces with a common Spring theme. This included a lovely solo from Julia Booker of Bridge's E'en as a lovely flower and concluded with a lively Come live with me by WS Bennett.

After the interval the Singers sang four songs of worship. This was my favourite section of the evening. The range of music in this section in style and age was considerable and showed just how well the voices complemented each other. Cantate Domino (Giuseppe Pitoni) and the traditional Gaudete! Gaudete! were both rousing and yet controlled. The dynamic contrasts in the two spirituals Were you there? and Oh wasn't that a wide river? were brought out to the full and Rutter's Gaelic Blessing was beautifully sung with much passion and feeling.

Katherine Palmer then showed her high level of skill on the Trumpet with Purcell's March and Sarah Merricks demonstrated both her and the recorder's astonishing versatility in the first movement of the Concerto in F Major by Giuseppe Sammartini.

The Singers returned with the traditional Londonderry Air and a delightful solo rendition of Jeanie with the light brown hair by Robin Howles. The more modern Something by George Harrison was performed at the organ by Nigel Wallington and Love changes everything by Andrew Lloyd Webber was sung by the four ladies in the group. The concert closed in a light hearted mood with Full fathom five by Charles Wood and Quick, we have but a second by CV Stanford which aptly gathered great speed and left the audience with smiles on their faces.

It was splendid to hear such a variety of music for which the Rev. Foulis-Brown said he was particularly grateful.