‘AND SO WE SING’ – A CONCERT TO HERALD A BRILLIANT MUSICAL YEAR

‘Music to lift you out of your life; To carry you into a world of delight’; this, the phenomenon that was at the Somerset Civic Centre on Sunday afternoon when the Esk Community Choir presented their Opening Concert for 2017 ‘And So We Sing’. 

The Choir’s opening bracket of songs made palpable the joy of singing whilst showcasing the talents of three wonderful singers from the Choir, Maree, Gail and Robert who in trio, prefaced the choir’s performance of the beautiful ‘Give Me Wings’.

A further leap into that ‘world of delight’ presented itself when Janet Brewer, Julie-Anne O’Reilly and Robert Truman who are ‘The Pacific Trio’ came to the stage.  Both their pre and post-interval performances were simply a masterclass of musicianship when, with Janet on piano, Julie-Ann, violin and Robert, cello, took the audience on a magical musical journey from the fabulous tango, ‘Jealousy’ through the powerfully energetic ‘Czardas’ featuring Julie-Anne on violin to places where barely would there have not been a foot flailing to Scott Joplin’s iconic ragtime masterpiece ‘Maple Leaf Rag’ with Janet at the piano. Then followed some Mendelssohn magic from the oratorio ‘Elijah’ and finally, the Saint-Saens emotive piece of charm and logic, ‘The Swan’, so perfect for cello.   

Following the Pacific Trio and wired for sound, Sue Walker and Eric von Nida, accompanied by Alexis, filled the auditorium with the beautiful sounds of the Schonberg, Boubil, Clark duet, ‘Live With Somebody You Love’.   While purists might argue that microphones might compromise the sounds of un-amplified voices and instruments, few could deny the magnificence of the sounds subtly enhanced throughout the Civic Centre through the Choir’s now 'own audio equipment'.

 

With many happy winners, raffle prizes in hand, it was on with the show when the chorus line of choir ladies in shades of the Black ‘n White Minstrels put smiles of faces with the Irving Berlin classic ‘I Love a Piano’ followed by a change of pace when the Choir men came together for a heart-stirring rendition of that  A.L.Webber favourite, ‘Love Changes Everything’.

The Cy Coleman ‘Rhythm of Life’ could not have been more trans-formative for audience and performers alike when the Pacific Trio alongside the Choir’s own flautist, Suzanne Clemence came together in a collaboration of pulsating rhythm and song and a perfect finale to a memorable afternoon of musical delight.

‘Completely wonderful!’…’fabulous afternoon!’ were just a taste of the comments passed around as the audience ‘chewed the fat’ over a delicious post performance afternoon tea.  To have enjoyed the brilliance of The Pacific Trio who have now managed to encourage so many more ‘first-timers’ to jump onto the Classical Music bandwagon; to have the encouragement of Concert goers and supporters who continue to enjoy the Choir’s shared love of singing; to have the exquisite talents of choir Accompanist, Margaret Philp and the indomitable, indefatigable genius of Choir Director, Alexis FitzGerald who has made all this possible, the Choir and a community are unflaggingly grateful.

by Sue Walker