College Choir sings Evensong
Posted on Sunday 16 May 2010
The College Choir sang Choral Evensong at Southwark Cathedral, London, on Wednesday 13 May, 2010
Not content to rest on their laurels and bask in the success of their wonderful production of Ruddigore less than two weeks earlier, the students and staff of the College music department travelled to the nation’s capital to give yet another stunning performance. The destination was the inspiring setting of Southwark Cathedral, where the College Chamber Choir was to sing the daily service of Choral Evensong.
The music, chosen to reflect the first service of the Feast of the Ascension was ambitious in its demands but the choir rose to the challenge magnificently and led the service with confidence and assurance. As well as the appointed Psalm for the day and hymn, the choir sang the Smith unaccompanied Preces and Responses and Stanford’s wonderful settings of the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (in G major). The Stanford was a wonderful vehicle for the beautiful voices of Madeleine Sakakini (16, of Old Basing) and Jessica Mabin (17, of Fleet) who dueted the solo treble lines – their voices floating effortlessly throughout the building and contrasting with that of the full choir. Jamie Barton (18, of Frimley) sang the bass solo in the Nunc Dimittis with such control, polish and assurance that none present would have guessed that this was his debut performance as a solo singer. The service concluded with the choir singing the anthem –a setting of How Lovely are thy Dwellings by Brahms which the choir sang with great emotional intensity.
Following the service the Cathedral’s Precentor, Canon Andrew Nunn, thanked the choir for their wonderful singing and particularly on the way they had paced the service – a remarkable achievement for a choir who does not regularly sing services of this kind. He concluded by offering an open invitation to the choir to return whenever they wished.
Making no effort to hide how moved he had been by the occasion, Director of Music Paul Bambrough told the choir “I am so proud of what you have done today. Not only have you sung astoundingly beautifully but you have shown a genuine sensitivity to the singing of a service and taken your responsibility for leading this act of worship very seriously. Once again, you have exceeded my all my expectations.”
The occasion was made that little bit more unique as the choir was joined by one special additional member. Ralph Wyld’s grandfather (80), a lifelong church musician stood alongside his grandson in the choir stalls and sang with us from memory. It was very touching to see Ralph sing his first ever cathedral Evensong alongside his grandfather who has sung so many.
