Otley and Ilkley Choral Societies
23rd April 2016
This concert was the first to be given in the newly-
Beginning with “In Windsor Forest”, a cantata by Vaughan Williams, it was obvious that the choir had the measure of this piece, the men coping well with the difficult diction in the wonderfully rumbustious “Drinking Song” , and there were some lovely contributions from the soprano Joanne Dexter in the recitative sections of “Falstaff And The Fairies”. The remaining two movements were sung with conviction and admirable control.
This was followed by a performance of Walton’s rousing “Crown Imperial” march, performed by the organist Alexander Woodrow, the Elgarian trio section being delivered with an appropriate degree of gravitas . Next up was a trio of songs by Purcell, stylishly and idiomatically despatched by Joanne, and very ably accompanied by Pat Jordan. One should mention that Pat’s contribution in this concert was outstanding, particularly in the Vaughan Williams. The first half of the programme concluded with the popular “Blest Pair of Sirens” by Parry. This came off quite well, but the thick harmonies were occasionally muddied a little by the acoustics of the church.
The second part of the concert began with what for me, was the highlight of the evening-
The concert came to a close with a rendition of Parry’s “I Was Glad”-
ROBIN COOK Ilkley Gazette 5 May 2016