Spirits and Souls

Saturday 22nd June 2024

St Matthew's Church, The Drive, Kingsley, Northampton, NN1 4RY

A most memerable concert

Joined by local musicians from The Nene Sinfonia, the choir brought rhythm and soul into the hearts of a considerable audience with their opening number of Bob Chilcott's The Little Jazz Mass. This composition blends the traditional wording of the Latin Missa Brevis with jazz and blues and the resulting performance set the tone for the rest of the evening.

NPC welcomed a new Musical Director this season and Thomas Moore has proven to bring more than just conducting skills. This was exemplified by the Organ Solo piece Episcopal March: Sacerdos et Pontifex. Composed by Meirion Wynn Jones only a few months ago, this was possibly performed for the first time in a concert setting that very evening.

Following the organ solo we were all treated to lovely singing by the children of The Choir of All Saints CEVA Primary School Northampton. Expertly guided by their conductor Jim Bonsor, they performed You raise me up, O waly waly and Over the rainbow. Their tone and enthusiasm were contagious and this performance was a very fitting end to the first half of the concert.

After the interval all the singers and musicians teamed up to perform Benedicite by Andrew Carter. This is an extraordinary composition for adult and children and The Nene Sinfonia brought an ensemble of musicians to aptly complement the inspiring words. Carter wrote the music to convey a child-like perspective of the wonders of Creation and on the night the church was filled with musical images of nature including the sun and the moon, thunder and lightning interspersed by badgers and hedgehogs. Particular highlights were the glissando notes from the string instruments creating the sound of whales as well as the children singing their hearts out about Grannies and Grandads! NPC is very pleased with the performance and delighted we were able to share it with our new President Rachel Nicholls, who gave us encouraging positive feedback.

This was the last concert before the summer break. NPC starts rehearsing again in September for our next performance which will be Carmina Burana on 23 November 2024. If any prospective new choir members would like to join, there is an Open Rehearsal at St Michael and All Angels Church on Perry Street on Tuesday 10 September.

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