Debut triumph for new Director’s Christmas Concert

THAME Choral Society’s Christmas concert, the first to be conducted by the Society’s new Choral Director, Helen Swift, opened with a rousing performance of Gaudete, the 16th century carol made popular by the electric folk group Steeleye Span, but the main work in the first half was a performance of Benjamin Britten’s exciting choral show piece, A Ceremony of Carols, sung on this occasion in the arrangement for mixed choir.

Helen Swift

 Continuing with the celebration of the centenary of the composer’s birth, the choir was joined by the young soprano, Jessica Wise and local harpist Sarah Goss.

The concert also included carols old and new, several of which the audience were invited to join in with. St Mary’s church in Thame, where the concert was staged on Saturday (08/12), has fine acoustics for choral singing and the choir and audience singing together, with the ladies of the choir singing descant, produced a glorious sound. The carols and songs were accompanied by organist and pianist, Geoffrey Heath, who has a long association with the Society.

Seasonal refreshments of hot mulled wine and mince pies added extra spice to the second half, a highlight of which was a solo performance by Sarah Goss of settings for harp of Debussy’s First Arabesque, Clare de Lune and an arrangement of  Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. The choral items were punctuated with readings by members of the choir from Genesis and Luke, and amusing monologues by Gervase Phinn of A Yorkshire Nativity and by John Julius Norwich of The Twelve Days of Christmas.  The concert ended with a plea by the gentlemen for the ladies to stay, in a setting of Baby’s it’s Cold Outside, which composer Frank Loesser premiered with his wife, Lynn Garland, at a 1944 housewarming party.

Thame Choral Society’s Chair, Judith Newenham, said: ” It was clear that our varied, seasonal programme brought a refreshing change, and was greatly enjoyed by our loyal audience. Our singing was excellent throughout under our new, confident and talented Musical Director, Helen Swift.”

Thame Choral Society, founded in 1961, is an informal, friendly, non audition choir committed to the enjoyment of music.  It has performed a wide range of choral works from baroque through the classical and romantic composers, to modern pieces by Britten and Poulenc, performing  two major concerts each year at St Mary’s  Church. Rehearsals for next year’s Spring concert, which takes the theme The Spirit of England , begin on January 8, 2014. New and former singers are always welcome. This, and subsequent rehearsals will be at the Methodist Church, Haddenham on Wednesday evenings from 7.30 to 9.30pm.

More information about the choir can be found on their website www.thamechoralsociety.co.uk and by
sending an email to thamechoralsociety@hotmail.co.uk.

Attached photograph shows members of Thame Choral Society with from left to right at the front, Helen
Swift ‐ choral director, Jessica Wise – Soprano and Sarah Goss – harp.