Orpheus Singers shares this report from their recent performance on the Isle of Wight. Ed
St. Catherine’s Church in Ventnor was packed to capacity on Saturday 9th July when Orpheus Singers joined with City Chorus from London for a two choirs gala concert, titled Music from Two Islands, as a grand finale for the season.
Singing under the direction of Philip Fryer, conductor of Orpheus Singers, and Paul Ayres, conductor of City Chorus, the two choirs presented a wide ranging programme with music from the 16th to 21st centuries.
Island-related programme
Highlights included a composition called The Isle is Full of Noises by Paul Ayres, and a performance of Crossing the Bar by Parry, a piece which has many associations with the Isle of Wight.
Perhaps the most spectacular piece was Laudate Dominum by Thomas Luis da Victoria, where the music swings to and fro between the two choirs to dramatic effect. The effect was quite stunning.
“Enormous fun” that “worked out extremely well”
The audience, and both choirs, thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Judith Hunt of Orpheus Singers commented:
“It was enormous fun to be part of a big choir briefly and to meet and hear each other. The programme worked out extremely well and to finish with ‘Crossing the Bar’, with both choirs singing so softly, was a really moving experience.”
Jonathan Hale of City Chorus added:
“It was remarkable how well the choirs melded… It says a lot for the musicality of the choirs and especially their conductors and accompanists. This is surely something that we should look to repeat in the future.”
The concert took some 13 months to organise, but the results made the effort well worthwhile.
Next IW concert
Orpheus singers are now looking forward to their next concert, on Friday 4th November at St. John the Baptist Church in Newport, when the programme will include Maurice Durufle’s mystical Requiem and Kyrie Eleison by Mozart.
Image: © Peter Savoury
