Fine singing and playing…

Fine singing and playing sent audience home in best possible Christmas mood Shropshire Star

A seasonal celebration at St Chad’s Church 20.12.08

Shrewsbury Choral Society, under their conductor Martin Schellenberg, with the Oswestry Sinfonia, gave a joyful seasonal celebration at St. Chad’s Church. It was an event that drew the audience in to the opening carol, “O come Emmanuel”. Mr Schellenberg used his powers of persuasion to encourage us to sing with great enthusiasm though perhaps less finesse than the choir!

It was a well planned programme balancing carols involving everybody, a mix of carefully chosen readings, a fine bass soloist and excellent performances from the choir Bach, the greatest composer of them all, was represented by an extract from Cantata 147 while the “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” by Ralph Vaughan Williams, showed English Music at its finest. Bass Mark Ashmore was the soloist in the Fantasia. He has a fine resonant voice which was perfect for this music. The Choral Society was for the most part, on good form but their wordless chorus behind the soloist was lacking in the clarity and precision that the music needed.

The Choral Society sang a mixture of familiar and les so carols; John Rutter was well represented and William Mathias’ “Sir Christemas” received a vibrant performance.

Oswestry Sinfonia played exceptionally well – the strings were confident, producing a warm, rich sound, while the larger than usual brass section were good in the first half and excellent in the second. The fanfares with which they were introduced “Hark the herald angels sing”, helped Mr Schellenberg’s exaltation to his audience, led to singing that raised the roof!

This was a delightful evening; fine singing and playing sent the audience home in the best possible Christmas mood.