We were treated to a most adventurous programme. Perhaps some of their most difficult works since they were founded in 2006. The concert was entitled Jewels for a Jubilee and so to celebrate her Majesty’s diamond jubilee we all stood up to sing two verses of the National Anthem.

The concert then started by Robin Baggs playing on the organ William Walton’s march, Crown Imperial with great precision. Joined by the four excellent soloists Fiona Dobie, Soprano, Natanya Phillips, Mezzo, Peter Harris, Tenor and Henry Herford, Bass, the choir performed Mozart’s Coronation Mass in C. There was some excellent singing during the Credo. The Sanctus starts slow, is difficult and has sustained high notes for the sopranos which then leads into the magnificent Hosanna in Excelsis which the choir obviously enjoyed singing.

After a short interval the choir returned to sing all four of the Handel Coronation Anthems. The first one, Let Thy Hand be Strengthened ends with a stirring chorus of Alleluia. The second anthem, The King shall Rejoice has a very difficult third movement which they tackled well, but as to be expected was a little untidy in places. The third anthem, My Heart is Inditing was sung with confidence though voices were beginning to get a little tired. Then finally the last anthem is the well known Zadok the Priest which formed an excellent ending to a most enjoyable concert.

Raymond Fenton

The concert was started by the choir of Fairford Primary School who sang two songs. “This is our World” and “Lean on me”. Both songs were sung with great enthusiasm. The first showed how they were able to sing in two parts and the second showed off the very sweet sounds of the children’s upper registers.

Next the Choral Society sang Mozart’s famous anthem Ave Verum Corpus K618. After a few rather untidy notes at the start the choir gave us a beautiful rendering of this lovely anthem written as a setting of a 14th century Eucharistic hymn in 1791.

This was followed by Mozart’s Missa Solemnis in C Major K337. John Read, the conductor, held the choir together for some excellent singing including the very difficult Benedictus where all parts cross each other and many are syncopated. Four excellent soloists sang with them. Fiona Dobie – Soprano, Natanya Phillips – Mezzo, Nicholas Pritchard – Tenor and Henry Herford – Bass, while Fiona Brown accompanied on the organ.

After a short interval Fiona Brown gave an organ solo - a chorale prelude based on “How brightly beams the morning star” by Flor Peeters, a difficult work played with great precision. The Choral Society returned with a work commissioned by Durham University in 2007 on the occasion of its 175th anniversary, “Morning Star” by Arvo Pärt. This work involved splitting the soprano and bass lines into two parts which was rather difficult for the basses as they were already short of a few members through illness, but they coped well.

Finally the choir performed the J.S. Bach cantata “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern”, again with Fiona Brown accompanying on the organ - an exceptionally difficult part which she played superbly. Three of the soloists returned for this work. Soprano, Tenor & Bass. They all sang well but special note must be made of the wonderful tenor voice of Nicholas Pritchard. The chorus parts were sung with great precision by the choir.

Raymond Fenton

See the Programme.

For a choral society that has only been in existence for four years the performance of Dvorak’s great work Stabat Mater was an amazing feat, especially considering that the choir only numbers a little over 40 members

Lasting well over an hour it is a very substantial and at times difficult work and the Fairford & District Choral Society gave an excellent performance together with four professional soloists. Katherine Crompton (soprano), Sioned Ellis (mezzo soprano), Nicholas Pritchard (tenor) and Henry Herford (bass).

Great credit must be given to John Read who has conducted and trained the choir since they started, and also to some magnificent organ playing by their accompanist Fiona Brown. We now look forward to their next concert on Saturday 12th November.

Raymond Fenton, 21st April 2011

Bach’s motet Jesu, Priceless Treasure is the only one that has come down to us scored for five voices. It is the longest, the most varied and probably the most difficult. It would originally have been sung unaccompanied but most choirs have no hesitation in doubling the parts with the organ. Fairford & District Choral Society was only founded three years ago, so it was a brave venture on Saturday 13th November in St. Mary’s Church, to tackle this motet and, due I’m sure to much hard work and supported by four Lay Clerks from Gloucester Cathedral the performance was excellent.

The opening chorales were sung with confidence and accuracy. The fifth section, “Death, Death, I do not fear” was lovely although not particularly easy, especially with the basses semi-quaver runs. The next section, “Ye are not of the flesh” with more semi-quaver runs coming in all five parts is exceptionally difficult to sing and it is true to say that at times the parts found it difficult to all keep together. The chorale in compound time, “If therefore Christ abide in you” was particularly well sung with very precise singing.

After a short interval we were treated to a very fine performance on the organ by Fiona Brown who played César Frank’s Pastorale which starts quietly and increases in volume to a middle section with some very precise staccato playing which is then followed by a tuneful legato passage.

Finally the choral society treated us to a very moving performance of Fauré’s Requiem which is always a favourite. I was particularly impressed by the singing of the Offertory which starts as a duet between altos and tenors, later to be joined briefly by the basses before the rich voice of the baritone soloist, Henry Herford takes over before the movement is completed by all the voices. Following the Sanctus, always a highlight we had such pleasure listening to the clear soprano voice of Liz Gravestock singing the beautiful Pie Jesu. More delicate singing followed with the Agnus Dei which starts off with the tenors who were augmented by the alto section before being joined by the full choir who made a very smooth transition from C major to Ab major and then later back to F major before the reprieve of the opening chorus. Another lovely baritone solo starts the Libera Me before the full choir takes over quietly and builds to a great climax before closing the movement with soft and delicate singing. Finally the Requiem ends with the famous In Paradisum which is definitely not as easy to sing as it looks, but the choir tackled it well with the whole Requiem ending very softly back in the key of D major.

Altogether a wonderful evening and one that the whole choir and their conductor John Read can be proud of.

Raymond Fenton, 14th November 2010

St Mary’s Church, Fairford played host on Saturday night to a somewhat dichotomous programme of sacred music. The first half, a world premiere of “Pilgrimage”, a new work by local composer, and conductor of Fairford and District Choral Society, John Read. The second, Stainer’s Crucifixion, a piece planted firmly in the 19th Century. Fairford and District Choral society performed both admirably.

Pilgrimage, split into eight sections, interspersed with narration, chronicles a journey undertaken by the composer and a friend from Caen to Santiago de Compostela in north western Spain. It was certainly effective in conveying the sense of travel, both spatial and spiritual. There were strong influences of folk music, and Read’s scoring had a wonderful openness to it, sections of full choir with minimal accompaniment contrasted with, at times, a solo flute or voice. Indeed, the music was so effective in conveying the transitions from preparation to wilderness to reflection, combined with the pictures projected above the choir, that the spoken narrative in between each section of music was barely required as an aid.

The choir performed well; in sections such as the 17th Century French song, they achieved the required lightness of tone, and their tuning was impressive throughout. The soloists stepped up to the task, holding up well in contrast to the choir in the antiphonal sections. There could, perhaps, have been a little more angst in the section entitled “suffering”, and a little more malice in the “wilderness”. But, overall, this was a well drilled performance, and it did the considerable merits of the work justice.

Stainer’s crucifixion is a piece that can, at times, teeter on the edge of drudgery if sufficient energy is not expended on the part of those performing it. But for some slight flagging around the “Appeal of the crucified”, Fairford and District Choral Society managed to keep energy levels up, an impressive feat given that this was over an hour of music. At times, the balance suffered slightly from the smaller number of male voices in the ensemble, but this is not to detract from the section’s performance. There was a suitably rambunctious sound on “Fling wide gates”, and, again, the choir showed itself to be well versed in dynamic contrast. Both the soloists - Peter Burrows tenor and Derek Walker bass gave very good accounts of the work.

Evidently well rehearsed, and effectively delivered, this was a thoroughly enjoyable event, both for the packed audience, and, by the looks of things, the choir. All in all, an evening of music that both Read and the Fairford and District Choral Society can be proud of.

Ed Brown