On Saturday, 30th July, 2011, Caldicot Male Voice Choir performed its’ last concert of a very busy mid-summer period. Deep in the rural serenity of Herefordshire, embroidered within a patch-work quilt of manicured fields, is the small medieval town of Bromyard; the venue of a concert arranged to raise funds for the beautiful St. Peter’s Church and the Bromyard Bowls Club. The Bromyard diocese has been a place of Christian worship for nearly 1,000 years and at its’ ecumenical heart is the large, Norman church of St. Peter. The custodians of this ancient church have to spend in excess of £100,000 to re-point and restore the stonework of the West Wall. The proceeds from this ‘sold-out’ concert went to the ‘Fabric-Fund’ which was set up to maintain the Grade 1 listed church for the people of Bromyard.
The choir opened the concert with the gusto of a ‘Cole Porter Medley’ and throughout the concert delighted the large audience with a blend of power and control. The concert incorporated the passion of an ‘American Trilogy’, the grace of Malotte’s ‘Lord’s Prayer’ and one of the most recognised tenor arias in opera, the hauntingly beautiful ‘Nessun Dorma’. During the latter half of their performance, the choir charmed the audience with a requested rendition of ‘Myfanwy’ and drew a standing ovation with a finale that included the fervour of ‘O Gymru’ and the majesty of ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’ set to the tune of ‘Morte Criste’
Throughout the concert, the choir and the audience were enchanted by the precociously talented vocalist, Emily Rooke, who will take up the post of Head Girl at Queen Elizabeth Humanities College, Bromyard, next year.
