| A Programme of Christmas Music and Carols for all the Family |
Reviews
Traditional festive event better than ever
Harrogate Symphony Orchestra/Harrogate Choral Society Family Christmas Concert Harrogate International Centre
THE International Centre resounded to the sounds of Christmas as Harrogate Symphony Orchestra and Harrogate Choral Society were joined by some 200 pupils from 14 local primary schools in their well-established seasonal celebration.
The Symphony Orchestra, happy to take a back seat for most of the evening on this occasion, set the opening scene very effectively with a sparkling performance of Leroy Anderson’s pot-pourri of favourite carols. Once in Royal David’s City followed with the first verse beautifully sung by Freya Johnson.
As usual, the children were the stars of the show and entertained the large audience of mainly families and friends with favourites old and new, from Silent Night to Boogie Woogie Santa.
The standard of singing was even higher than last year and it is a great credit, not only to the children, but to the teachers who spend a good deal of time preparing them for what must be a very exciting occasion for most of them.
A memorable feature of the evening was Maurice Lupton’s arrangement for children, Choral Society and orchestra, of two carols intertwined, Silent Night and the Cradle Song. Maurice is a violinist and, as a playing member of the Symphony Orchestra, was present to justly receive an ovation for his sensitive setting.
Ellie Ward, Fenella Walsh, Olga Maher and Devon Lowndes all made excellent solo contributions to some of the childrens’ carols.
Harrogate Choral Society, not at full strength on this occasion, gave solid support to the community carol singing as well as contributing some items of their own, including an excellent performance of Christmas Night, arranged by John Rutter and accompanied by the orchestra.
As in recent years, Bryan Western and Marilynne Davies shared both conducting and banter throughout the evening and worked very hard in maintaining an appropriately light-hearted atmosphere throughout this excellent evening of community music.
- Rupert Kennedy, Harrogate Advertiser