Press Release
While the miserably damp July followed on from an equally wet June, the Choir made its’ way over the Severn Bridge and down the M4 to picturesque Bradford on Avon situated astride the fast flowing River Avon and the Kennet and Avon canal between Bath and Trowbridge. The town is famous for its’ historic 17th century woollen mill industry but now makes a living from retail and tourism. Famous sons include English Rugby internationals Will Carling, Phil de Glanville and Jon Sleightholme and not forgetting from the world of TV, Hugh Scully long-standing past presenter of The Antiques Roadshow.
We were welcomed into the Bath stone walls and timber beamed 16th century Masonic Hall and Temple to warming cups of tea, coffee and biscuits before once more venturing out into the rain to the nearby Norman Holy Trinity Church. The Hall was built c.1500 by Thomas Horton as a meeting place for the town and woollen guilds. It has had a chequered history passing though use as a vestry, dereliction, a non-conformists girls’ school and as a boy’s grammar school before being first used by the Masons in 1913. It has finally been purchased by the Lodge in 2010 who are actively trying to restore the building to its former glory. Holy Trinity Church claims to have the longest squint or hagioscope in England from which, ‘lepers and other undesirables could view the altar without coming into contact with the congregation’. The magnificent tower and combined spire holds a ring of eight bells, the heaviest tenor bell comes in at 1.5 tons, that is about the weight of our entire top tenor section.
With an introductions by Rev. Joanna Abecassis and Freemason Peter West , our concert, arranged by the Freemasons of the town to raise funds to restore and maintain their ancient Masonic Hall, opened to a full Church of over two hundred with, what is becoming our theme tune, the rousing Welsh hymn Llanfair with its fabulous ‘Amens’ at the end. The Choir followed this with the contrasting Rock style of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and the sadly haunting Irish melody, Fields of Athenry and African Trilogy with soloist Jason Dawe. The sound of the choir was superby augmented by the acoustic resonance emanating from the high, arched, wooden ceiling.
Having demonstrated its versatility with its varied opening, the Choir gave way to Musical Director, Siân Hatton’s wonderful presentations of ‘Voi che saperte che cosa è amor’ from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, sung in the opera by Cherubino in the 2nd Act. This was followed by the risqué rendering of Musetta’s Waltz Quand me’n vo from Puccini’s La Bohème sung in Act 2 of the opera by Musetta in a Parisienne bar in an attempt to embarrass her aged admirer, Alcindoro. Siân further demonstrated her versatility and singing talent by completing her first presentation with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Time Rice’s I Don’t Know How to Love Him sung by Mary Magdalene in the First Act of Jesus Christ Superstar. Siân was accompanied by Stephen Berry for all her solo items.
The audience was treated to a repertoire of varied choral singing ranging from Anthem to Eli Jenkin’s Prayer. to a Cole Porter Medley, Welsh love songs, the traditional Lleucu Llwyd and Yfory and finishing with the song which extols the virtues of Wales, O Gymru with soloist Tom Hole . Unfortunately, Assistant Musical Director Shirley Ann James, could not attend the performance due to illness, so in addition to her solo and compère roles Siân conducted the choir throughout all 17 items. The choir was accompanied expertly by John Nicholson and Steve Berry hidden away underneath the pulpit (not, thankfully in the Squint). In between this programme, Siân not only acted as Master of Ceremonies in her own witty and humorous style which had the audience in raptures of laughter but also treated us all to a shift from classical opera to Somewhere, Summertime from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Eliza Dolittle’s I Could have Danced all Night from Lerne and Loewe’s My Fair Lady.
Following a loud, prolonged enthusiastic applause from the audience, many compliments on our performance and a request to come back next year, the Choir once more braved the rain to return to the Masonic Hall to partake of groaning tables of much welcomed, splendid refreshments before treating local supporters to its’ own informal repertoire of ‘Afterglow’ favourites.
Many thanks to Jon Beesley (friend of ‘Spike’, 2nd Tenor Graham Hughes ) for taking the photographs (more to follow soon.)
Lyn