Concert Review: Messiah 29th November 2025
Review of ‘Messiah’ 29th March 2025
It was a fine spring day for Stour Choral Society’s first concert of the year, and it was, indeed, a very fine performance of ‘Messiah’, Handel’s popular oratorio of 1741.
Congratulations to Susanna Rose, musical director, for coordinating choir, soloists, organist, trumpets and timpani into a ‘great afternoon of music’. All the soloists (Anna Maria Rose, soprano, Joanna Arnold, mezzo-soprano, Jonathan Cooke, tenor and Peter Grevatt, bass) delivered superb performances. Our thanks go to Jonathan Cooke for stepping in for Philip Clieve at very short notice, due to illness.
The choir were praised for their dedication to the notes, words, and drama of the work, and the trumpets (Geoff Harniess and Glyn Sweeting) and timpani (Ben Steinitz) added wonderfully to the dramatic atmosphere, with a superb rendition by first trumpet, Geoff Harniess in ‘The Trumpet shall Sound’.
Our organist, Stephen Smith, deserves special applause for his wonderful playing and his endurance for performing for well over two hours, without the short breaks afforded to the choir and soloists between recits and choruses. Thanks again to Laura Allison, Stephen’s page turner, for her equally long concentration on the notes.
Appreciation goes to our ‘audience family’ who turn out faithfully to hear us and encourage us through, and to our hosts, at Mistley Parish Church who allow us to turn the church upside down for a few days with every concert.
Acknowledgement as well to the SCS committee and friends who work tirelessly to produce concerts of such marvellous quality, and manage the choir as a whole.
We are a very friendly choir and always welcome new members. Do contact us if you would like to sing with us! Email: or visit our website www.stourchoralsociety.co.uk, or our Facebook page.