Review of Ely Youth Choir Festival Concert in the Hayward Theatre.
Ely Youth Choir - Credit: Archant
The crème de la crème of local choirs met for the second Ely Youth Choir Festival when young singers rehearsed all day and performed a concert to a large appreciative audience at the end of the day.
Ely Youth Choir Festival Concert. Janet Wheeler and Rebecca Duckworth (the conductors of the choirs) - Credit: Archant
The crème de la crème of local choirs met for the second Ely Youth Choir Festival when young singers rehearsed all day and performed a concert to a large appreciative audience at the end of the day.
This year’s event was an undoubted success. Ely Youth Choir (conducted by Andrew Parnell), Saffron Walden County High School Chamber Choir (conducted by Janet Wheeler), and Cantiamo (conducted by Roger Bond) gave a splendid performance, separately and as a whole choir in a varied and interesting programme.
Songs included a number of spirituals including All my Trials, Steal Away, Everytime I feel the Spirit and Deep River.
Also featured were Bob Chilcott and Duke Ellington items along with a variety of popular pieces like The Skye Boat Song, Freddie Mercury’s Don’t Stop Me Now, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Memory and Over the Rainbow mixed with lively challenging and entertaining works like Eastymology and a more serious but familiar Locus Iste.
Ely Youth Choir Festival Concert.Jonathan Rogers (Festival Director). - Credit: Archant
These all helped to make the concert most enjoyable for performers and listeners.
The event was supported by Richard Hayward and well-known local musician and ABRSM examiner Vivien Laird closed the events with comments that reminded us of what a splendid day it had been.
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Her description of beautiful, crisp, well-balanced, well-shaped singing gave the singers credit where it was undoubtedly due.
Rebecca Duckworth conducted two final pieces that exemplified the skills the singers had acquired in a sonorous, well phrased performance of Steal Away and a lively performance of Chattenooga Choo Choo that was indicative of the whole event – pure fun.
It is no surprise to learn that a future repeat of this event is being planned and if you are a young singer you might persuade your choir leader that you should come!
