EGHAM AND DISTRICT CHORAL SOCIETY together with the most able assistance of the West Forest Sinfonia gave their Spring Concert on 1 April at St John's Church in Egham.
The opening work was "Blest Pair of Sirens" by Parry. It opens in the Imperial style of its period with a grand orchestral introduction preparing for the entrance of the choir, leading a memorable performance up to its huge climax.
The second and principal work was the German Requiem by Brahms, in which the choir were joined by soloists Amy Moore (soprano) and Lawrence Wallington (bass-baritone). In contrast to the more usual Mass for the Dead, Brahms selected texts from the German Lutheran Bible, which are intended to be of a consolatory nature, and on this occasion a distinguished English translation was used. There were many highlights in the performance - notably the sublime introduction on the lower strings before the opening chorus and the fanfare and fugue at the close of the chorus "Behold, all flesh is as grass". Lawrence Wallington gave an excellent account of his solos in "Lord let me know mine end" and later in "We have no abiding city". The chorus showed their merit in a sensitive rendering of "How lovely are thy dwellings" with some lovely tenor lines, and in all their other contribtions. Amy Moore was a choral scholar at Royal Holloway under Professor Pike, and her pure voice was a delight in "Ye now have sorrow".
Lionel Pike conducted his second concet with the choir. During his years at Royal Holloway he nurtured generations of students, and we can now hear results of the same attention in the dedicated, focussed and wholly musical performance by the amateur singers of the Egham and District Choral Society. It is a privilege to have music of this calibre available to the public of Runnymede.
(Our thanks to Margaret Roberts for supplying this review.)
