St Augustine’s Church, Bexhill, Saturday 5 December 2015

The year’s roll round so quickly it hardly seems twelve months since we were last here for the traditional carol concert from Bexhill Choral Society. If the programming is familiar there is always enough variety to keep us on our toes. On this occasion we had two carols which were certainly unfamiliar to me and a number of others which are more rarely performed, alongside familiar favourites, and of course carols for audience participation.

Bob Chilcott’s The Sparrow’s Carol is a chirpy delight and was set against Alan Bullard’s gentle Scots Nativity. There was an unfamiliar American setting of Away in a Manger which charmed, and Philip Ledger’s Bell Carol maintained the local connections, along with the opening Sussex Carol. Bob Chilcott was also heard in a fine arrangement of Silent Night.

As usual, Ken dusted off his saxophone for a Christmas Medley before the interval, and the evening concluded with Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride and Bernard’s Winter Wonderland.

Kenneth Roberts not only conducts with aplomb but knows his forces well. As a result his own arrangements are particularly apt and successful, not only for the choir but also for Cinque Ports Brass who accompanied throughout.

It was good to have both Robert Aldwinckle on piano and Nigel Howard at the organ, avoiding any unnecessary rushing between consoles.

The choir certainly did themselves proud. Though there were only five tenors listed in the programme, there was no sense of the male voices seeming under-powered. They had a number of exposed sections which were roundly filled, producing a full and very pleasing tone. Female voices were richly focused with no problems at the top of the range.

In May we are to her Puccini’s Messa di Gloria  and Poulenc’s Gloria. Put that in your diary now.