Concert Review – 14 December 2024

SPECTACULAR SPIRIT FOR CHRISTMAS WITH LYMINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY

Billed as a Christmas Spectacular, LCS’s latest concert (14th Dec, St. Thomas’ Church) didn’t disappoint. Featuring a range of music from across the ages, the congregational carols – scattered across the evening – were a well-appreciated addition, beginning with the perfectly-pitched treble of Harry Hampson-Gilbert in ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, who later performed an expressive rendition of ‘Walking in the Air’ from The Snowman, with smooth and suitably mellow tone. The choir got off to an ethereal start in Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, demonstrating not only good tuning, but also a wonderful blend, so evocative in their chords of an old English pastoral Christmas scene – the style which made Vaughan Williams one of England’s greatest composers of the mid-20th Century. The baritone soloist was Sam Hird, who provided an assured and rich sound, his voice somehow ringing out in what can be a challenging acoustic. Cornelius’ famous setting of The Three Kings followed in similar fashion before a slight rarity amongst the John Rutter oeuvre: extracts from When Icicles Hang, his 1975 setting of various winter-related poems by Shakespeare, Campion and others. Philip Daish-Handy, conducting the concert with his customary energy and excitement, enthused about the three choices from a musical perspective, ranging from an impressionistic, Holst-“Neptune”-like opener to a rhythmic drinking song and a folk-like ‘Blow Thou Winter Wind’. The choir was on top form here, dramatic and accurate in equal measure, tenors and basses being notably strong. Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium followed (ably supported by Timothy Rice on the organ, also providing other keyboard accompaniments in the concert), and after the interval we enjoyed two a capella items which were well-sung with good support, particularly in the challenging Walton All This Time. We finished the evening with Sir Christemas (Mathias) and Masters in this Hall: a rousing finale. Mention should also go to the Nova Foresta Philharmonic, which played sensitively all night, including in the instrumental interlude – an arrangement of part of Nigel Hess’ score to ‘Ladies in Lavender’, with the sweet solo violin of Catherine Lawlor.