Minchinhampton Parish Church

Tuesday December 20th, 2005

"Carols by Candlelight"

Approaching Minchinhampton Church on a dark December evening you are immediately lifted up by the sight of the newly restored church spire, surmounted by its gleaming golden cockerel, all brilliantly floodlit, and this feeling of buoyancy was continued all evening by a spirited concert of Christmas music given by the Cappella Singers under their director Philip Colls, together with the Sunnyside Brass ensemble. 

There is something about brass instruments with their strident and yet mellow tones which seems eminently suitable to the Christmas season and Sunnyside Brass - two trumpets, a horn, a trombone and a tuba - made a joyful contribution to the spirit of the evening. 

They played some pleasant pieces by Ludwig Maurer, a 19th century German composer and they were particularly effective in Peter Cornelius's 'Three Kings from Persian lands afar', when they played the underlying chorale with the sopranos singing the solo part above. 

The programme was well constructed with well-known carols and some lesser-known ones interspersed. The audience enjoyed participating in some of the former and gave a good account of itself with Philip Colls' encouragement. We have come to expect immaculate tuning, timing and diction from the Cappella Singers and as usual we were rarely disappointed. 

The general mood was joyful and as such was appropriate, although more dynamic variation would have been appreciated, especially in carols exhorting the Babe to sleep - and fewer noses in copies, please, at least in some very familiar items. 

It was interesting to hear different versions of familiar carols such as 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' and two versions of 'While shepherds watched', and one appreciated the scholarship and thought behind the whole programme.

W.A.B.