This concert at Holy Trinity Church got off to a rousing start with a fanfare from fine trumpeter Winston Leese.
Nine short works celebrating the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, who died 50 years ago, followed. Most were choral hymns and motets such as the exquisite O Taste and See, played at the coronation of our present Queen, or the joyous Let All The World In Every Corner Sing.
The choir gave an enthusiastic performance under their conductor Helen Brind who, as ever, has the clearest beat in Dorset and a marked rapport with the singers.
The music was varied by four cello solos, beautifully played by Elaine Huntriss, and including the well-loved Greensleeves Fantasia.
The renowned organist Andrew Wilson played more coronation music by Walton, and Winston Leese on trumpet played a lively suite by Malcolm Archer.
After the interval, members of the Dorset Youth Singers added variety and sparkle with lovely works by John Rutter and Julie Gold.
And finally came the climax of the evening: Karl Jenkins’ suite The Armed Man. This is splendid and most moving music and the choir sang their hearts out.
The work opens with a soft, slithery, sinister tune for cello solo – then in comes the choir, voice by voice – subdued drum rolls – organ – trumpet – the sound continues to grow – everyone is sitting up and taking notice – how can they manage to breathe? – and finally the climax, filling the church at maximum volume, God Give Us Strength To Die sung with huge conviction.
A fine performance to finish the evening. Long may the Weymouth Choral Society last.
Reviewed by Janet Ferrett (Courtesy of Dorset Echo)
Concert toasts world peace
(Dorset Echo 30 September 2008)
WEYMOUTH Choral Society is celebrating autumn and world peace through the music of some of our most popular composers.
The Concert for Peace, which takes place in October, features the choral suite from Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.
This work was commissioned by the Royal Armouries to commemorate the millennium and looks back on a war-torn century and forward with hope to a more peaceful one.
The choral society will be joined by Dorset Youth Singers for anthems by John Rutter which celebrate the potential beauty and joy of our world.
The first half of the concert specifically pays tribute to the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, with examples of his choral works such as O Clap Your Hands and Let all the World in Every Corner Sing.
Vocal items will be interspersed with solos on organ, trumpet and cello, including the beautiful Fantasia on Greensleeves.
Weymouth Choral Society, founded in the 1860s, has been going from strength to strength. It performs at least three times a year and has a membership of over 80, although musical director Helen Brind would like a few more men to take part.
The society supports of the local community by performing for charity, carol singing in hospital and care homes and Brewers Quay, singing at civic events such as the Christmas lights ceremony in the town and helping at a Weymouth Carnival seafront stall.
Helen, who joined the choir in 2000, said: “It should be a lovely concert with the theme of peace, featuring British 20th century composers with the angle of peace and looking after each other.”
Helen teaches music both in schools and privately and is also the director of the Dorset Singers.
She says: “The Government has an incentive to get singing back into the classroom, which I think is fantastic,” she said. “We need to get singing back into our ethos because I think we have lost it.
“There is an emphasis on youth and popular music, but we are not using our voices in a national way so it’s great that that is starting to come through again.”
