REVIEW

SWING INTO SPRING

QUANGLE WANGLE CHOIR AND WEYMOUTH CHORAL SOCIETY

ALL SAINTS SCHOOL, WEYMOUTH

TWO substantial choirs took the stage for Weymouth Choral Society’s Swing into Spring Concert.

Musical director Helen Brind made the evening doubly engaging by inviting the much-loved and long-established Quangle Wangle Choir, directed by Juliet Harwood, to join them.

The result was a popular, wide-ranging and enchantingly varied programme which enabled both choirs to display their individual styles.

Weymouth Choral was very ably accompanied at the piano by Louise Dukes, who also delighted the audience and set toes tapping as she played Over the Waves and the Sailors’ Hornpipe on the accordion.

Due to the illness of the advertised soloist, Brind called on two talented young musicians, Jodie and Chloe Tripp.

Each gave a gutsy performance of a jazz classic which brought the house down, as well as coming together as a duet in totally different mood to sing Pie Jesu.

Three members of Weymouth Choral Society – Soprano Judy Walbrin, Tenor Eric Groom and Bass Rod Parsons – stood in most effectively as soloists in a rendering of The Heavens are Telling by Haydn.

Quangle Wangle demonstrated what a choir can do with voice alone with Juliet Harwood’s arrangements adding great musicality to their presentations.

Their programme also included an amusing and tuneful piece in praise of Dorset apples written by choir member Anna Eveleigh.

Weymouth Choral’s contribution also allowed for a taste of things to come with a soaring rendering of Be Not Afraid, from Elijah, the Mendelsohn oratorio they will perform together with the Barclays House Choir under the baton of Helen Brind at Wimborne Minster on June 3rd.

NORMAN HARTLEY