Malvern Festival Chorus: Britten St Nicholas - Forum, Malvern Theatres

IAIN Sloan and the Malvern Festival Chorus gave us a splendid community event.

In addition to the choir we had the Priory Singers, hymns for the congregation, four young soloists, two pianists, an organ, the ever-reliable Regency Sinfonia. and a splendid tenor in Simon Berridge.

The occasion was a performance of Britten’s sublime St Nicolas (the Christmas saint) written for the centenary of Lancing College, Peter Pears’ school, though first performed at the Aldeburgh Festival.

It may be done by amateur singers, apart from the tenor who takes the role of the saint, though the memorable tunes need the utmost skill in clarity of words to succeed.

This performance did very well indeed; after a rather painstaking start the story of the saint’s life and works, as told in Eric Crozier’s fine text, took wing in ever-growing spirited and clear rendering by soloist and choirs, with the antiphonal effects of main and Priory choirs very effective.

As ever the story of the three picked boys, with the trebles singing rousing Alleluias, was most moving (though perhaps not quite as effective as it would have been say in the Priory).

This sounds a deceptively simple work but any singer will tell you that it is not!

The shorter first half included two songs from Purcell operas, finely sung by Simon Berridge, a stalwart of the crack choir the Sixteen; the famed Purcell Chacony for the orchestral strings and an early Te Deum by Britten with Bryony Cowell as the soaring youthful soprano.

Not the usual oratorio concert but one giving great pleasure – hopefully for those on the performing side as much as in the audience.

ERNIE KAY