Review: Schubert Mass in G plus seasonal Carols
Winter Concert Review- Schubert Mass in G plus seasonal Carols 2nd December 2023
‘What a Wonderful concert’ remarked an audience member on leaving Mistley Church on Saturday afternoon- and it was! It may have been a very cold day, but the church was filled with the warmth of Schubert’s beautiful ‘Mass in G’. The choir sounded ‘amazing’, with great expression and volume to their singing. Highlights had to include ‘Carol of the Bells’- (Leonard Clark) which was quite magical and ‘O Holy Night’(Rutter) -sung with such feeling.
Many congratulations to Susie Rose for rehearsing, training and leading the choir with such skill and dedication, and for an excellent program of music. The soloists (Anna Maria Rose, Soprano, Nick Rayner, Tenor, and Gary Griffiths, Bass) were outstanding, not only in the Schubert, but each treating us to a solo of their own- Anna sang Bach’s ‘Ave Maria’ beautifully, Gary gave us a splendid ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ (Gounod) and Nick performed an animated and enjoyable rendition of ‘The Carol Singers’.
Praise also for Stephen Smith, our accompanist, for providing the complicated orchestral backing track to the concert, including the clock chimes in ‘Past 3 O’ clock! Thanks also to the readers, Paul Greenland, Liz Maythan, and Yvonne Graham, and the audience for braving the cold, and joining in enthusiastically with the carols. A special thank-you to our newest Choir member, Jayne Barnes, for the trumpet voluntary leading into ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ and ending the concert on a real high.
Lastly, thanks to the SCS committee for their hard work behind the scenes, who make the concerts happen.
Our next concert will be on April 13th 2024 2.30pm at Mistley Church. We will be performing Puccini’s ‘Messa di Gloria’ and some Opera Favourites. We are always delighted to welcome new members- if you would like to sing with us please drop us a line on our email address: , or telephone 01206 619084.
