A full house at St Mary-in-the-Castle for the annual Christmas Carols for all and an impressive range of material, given that it followed so closely on their autumn concert. A brisk Ding Dong Merrily on High launched the evening, leading straight into the first of five carols for audience and soloists.
A feature of this year’s music was the many quieter, reflective pieces, the first of which was John Rutter’s arrangement of Sans Day Carol followed by his own recent carol Christ is the Morning Star. The first half also brought us Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring played impeccably by accompanist Francis Rayner and three carol arrangements from Inspiritus Brass. Before the interval we heard In Dulci Jubilo and The Twelve Days of Christmas, but not before we had been able to relax a little more in Mel Torme’s Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire ….) with Marcio da Silva crooning the central section to the delight of us all.
After the interval, as has become traditional, we were joined by a junior choir, this year the 2nd St Leonards Guides, who led us in Born in the Night and the Star Calypso before we were all able to join them in Away in a Manger.
We don’t often get a chance to hear any of the Choir as solo voices but this year we did in an arrangement by Chilcott of O Little Town of Bethlehem. This is a very clever arrangement. At first it feels as though it has no connection with the familiar tune, until the last verse where the carol we all know is added as the descant – a very neat and effective idea.
The choir then gave us the gentle New Year Carol by Benjamin Britten before Marcio da Silva – surely by popular demand – sang O Holy Night, not only excelling himself but bringing an extra frisson to the choir.
Before the final singing of O Come all ye faithful we heard again from Francis Rayner – a softly effective Claire de lune – and three fine carol settings from Inspiritus Brass.
The novelty this year was the inclusion of the Tune-Up Tuesday Singers. Led by Gary Marriott, the group is drawn from various NHS staff and their ‘service users’ who meet to enjoy themselves singing. Their spirited rendition of the Gloucester Wassail added an extra level to the evening, as had the unexpected solo performance of Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree by Gary himself.
Hastings Philharmonic Choir will be augmented in April for Carmina Burana, and they welcome any newcomers who might like to sing with them. www.hastingsphilchoir.org.uk