Midsummer Annual Concert at Paul

Tuesday 23rd June, 2015 - 5:21pm

With Midsummer celebrations in conjunction with Father's Day and bright sunshine the seasonal concert delights of Mousehole male voice choir - now perhaps the largest local group in England - were bouncing with pleasure and good music.

Lively singing of a popular light programme, a big audience at Paul parish church and a talented guest soloist added to the ingredients of a happy bouquet of summer cheerful sounds.

It was also unique in that most of the selections were sponsored by families, friends and supporters of the choir, from the local pub to hauliers and opticians as well as in memory of past singing stalwarts. And the choir with over 75 members 'in song', has plenty to sing about these days with recent CDs and DVDs as souvenirs for the visitors who crowd the picturesque fishing village to the successes of the  recent international festival concerts. 

 

Under the direction of conductor Stephen Lawry and deputy David Williams with accompanist Annette Turton on piano and John Harry organist, there was a swirl of variety from the stirring 'Freedom is Coming' and When I hear Music' to the entertaining 'Rock Island Line' the lyric 'Fly me to the Moon' the local 'Trencrom', dramatic 'We Rise Again', culminating in the moving 'You'll Never Walk Alone' combined with accomplished soloist  Simone Hellier. She has had considerable operatic experience in Cornwall and beyond and brought this to charm the audience with familiar arias by Mozart, Bizet and Puccini as well as such evergreen melodies as Novello's 'Waltz of my Heart' and Schonberg's 'I Dreamed a Dream'. Perhaps to mark the special day she included 'O My Beloved Father'.

Thanks were extended by choir chairman Charles Law and there was a blessing by the Vicar, Revd Andrew Yates.

It was a happy night to remember. Mousehole choir is now preparing for its annual Summer Festival at St Mary's church, Penzance on August 2 with Welsh baritone Eirian Davies as guest. Ahead is also the lifeboat service at Mousehole on 16 August and other outdoor concerts at the quay.