Celebration Concert
Handel: Messiah (Part 1) and Rutter: Magnificat
with Min-Min Peaker soprano, Clare Watson alto, Howard Dalziel tenor, Richard Ball bass and the Linsdale Orchestra
Sunday 1st December 2019 at 6.00pm
St Mary’s Church Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire LU6 2DL
Following the huge success of their performance of Messiah in May 2012, the Singers accompanied by the Linsdale Orchestra were invited back to St Mary’s Eaton Bray to sing again Handel’s choral masterpiece as part of the Church’s 800th anniversary celebrations. The music consisted of Part 1 of Messiah (the Christmas section) ending with the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus and John Rutter’s Magnificat. The concert ended with the ‘Blessing and honour’ and ‘Amen’ from Messiah.
Tickets were £12.50 (accompanied children free) and were available online, by telephone or at the door on the night.
The church was packed and we had many favourable comments as the audience left, with songs in their hearts apparently! A technical view from a choral singer in the audience:
“We loved the concert. The choir sounded really super. A very confident sound, really good diction (I could make out all the words). The entrances across the parts was really good, I could hear how different parts took over the theme or idea etc. The balance of voices was really nice – no voice part standing out. A lovely blend. The semiquaver passages were really impressive and showed good articulation. No blurs or joined lines. I liked the high note in the soprano. You hit the note and it was bang on with no voices dropping out etc. There were some really lovely moments. The soloists were fab as well.”
And from another discerning audience member:
“Congratulations to all on a superb event. Messiah is a great work and I feel that I need it at least once every year or two The choir was accurate, well balanced and made a super sound. The concert was very good indeed and that all involved deserve congratulations.”
All in all it was a very successful evening and our particular thanks go to the soloists, the members of the orchestra and the organisers at the church for ensuring everythiing went smoothly.
Concert poster • Church location map • Church website • A few photographs from the concert
