Our summer festival concert aims to celebrate musical excellence and this year exceeded expectations as we enjoyed a warm welcome, wonderful performances, timeless music and uplifting humour.
The choir, under Stephen Lawry’s direction, filled the wonderful acoustics of St. Mary’s church with a range of a cappella pieces, as well as songs accompanied on piano by David-Ceredig Evans, and two enhanced by the flute of Maureen Trevorrow. It was also a concert to showcase the breadth of new music added to our repertoire at the beginning of the year, the hours of learning and refining put to an audience for the first time with perhaps a few giddy nerves lurking behind a calmly composed exterior!
If the choir surpassed expectations, Aoife Miskelly’s soprano voice and programme surely charmed and captivated everyone. Her blend of exquisite singing and expressive theatrical drama lent a rare depth to each piece. A freelance soloist from Northern Ireland, Aoife has worked across Europe and as far afield as Japan alongside many top conductors and orchestras, with a comprehensive array of familiar and challenging operatic roles to her name as well as leading parts in various oratorios and masses. Her performance at St Mary’s church begged for standing ovations, especially the magical unaccompanied old traditional Irish folk song “She moved through the fair”.
The summer festival is also customarily a time for presenting long-term service awards to members of the choir. Our President Kath Matthews recognised Mike Osborne (far left) and Mark Lean (almost hidden) who celebrate 20 years service this year; Graham Williams and Jonathan Bradley (in stylish braces) received their 10 year service lapel badges.
Even then the show was not quite over. Aoife and David Ceredig-Evans were much applauded for their supreme virtuosity, David adding eight extra and often challenging accompaniments to his evening’s work with much pre-performance practice paying off. Not to be outshone, our very own Honorary Secretary Tim James was much feted as the most kissed celebrity of the evening, in the right photo here congratulating Ken Prouse (left) for the floral decorations provided for the evening. Many thanks also go to the Revd Jacky Wise who warmly welcomed everyone to St. Mary’s church.
Our programme: Come And Go With Me, Thank You Dear Lord For Music, Slow Down, The Long Day Closes, Lullaby Of The Tides; No Words, Down In The Valley, Evergreen, Somebody To Love; Riversong, Drill Ye Tarriers Drill, Riders In The Sky, Let The Music Fill Your Soul; Irish Blessing, Amazing Grace/All Because, Deus Salutis, His Grace Will Lead Us Through.
Aoife Miskelly sang: Morgen, Beau soir, Laudate dominum; I could have danced all night, Song to the moon, The fiddler of Dooney; The hills are alive with the sound of music, She moved through the fair, Oh Danny boy.
Above left: St. Mary’s church, Penzance, designed by local architect Charles Hutchens and built between 1832 and 1835. A place of worship has existed on this Chapel Street site since at least 1321. Above right: welcome from Revd Jacky Wise.