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LEICESTER MERCURY 18/12/04 MESSIAH AND CAROLS, LEICESTER PHILHARMONIC CHOIR ST JAMES THE GREATER REVIEW By JOYCE PARKIN
We missed out on Messiah, but had the Phil's fabulous consolation prize LEICESTER’S Philharmonic Choir were unable to give their annual performance of Messiah this year. To make up for it, their Christmas concert included excerpts appropriate to the season. Directing was the choir’s chorus master, Richard Dacey Organist was Nigel Allcoat, and mezzo soprano soloist Ruth Peel. John Aldridge compèred the concert and gave some short appropriate amusing readings. In Messiah we heard a sonorous interpretation of the Overture from Nigel Allcoat who also gave us a rather ponderous version of Pastoral. From Peel’s rich voice we heard lovely performances of But Who May Abide and He shall Feed His Flock - wonderful music. The choir was excellent - vivacious and precise, with superb tone. We heard And The Glory, And He Shall Purify, and of course the piece culminated in a rousing Hallelujah. The second half consisted of carols when the audience had three opportunities to “sing with the Phil”. Peel gave us The Three Kings and I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas and Nigel Allcoat performed his unique improvisation of Noel Variations. From the choir we heard a carol from Schutz to two from Rutter. There was the lush The Little Road to Bethlehem and the cute Carol of the Drum in a concert that provided the Christmas spirit. |
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