A NEAR-capacity audience was treated to a programme of well-known favourites and hidden gems by Skipton Choral Society at their summer concert in Christ Church, writes Sarah Glossop.

The concert opened with Sir Hubert Parry’s stirring anthem, I Was Glad. The combination of the fine Harrison and Harrison organ, and the resonant acoustic of the church turned the opening fanfare into a memorable moment. This is vocally a very challenging piece, ably handled by the 50-strong choir who matched the strength of the organ and the skill and dexterity of organist Alan Horsey throughout, most notably in the final climactic chord.

This was followed by Hear My Prayer by Mendelssohn, a Christian anthem for solo soprano and chorus, incorporating the oft-heard O For The Wings Of A Dove, which is actually only the final verse of the anthem. It was nice to hear the rest of the piece which is relatively unknown. Sensitively supported by the choir,.the solo was sung beautifully by Jenny Webb, showing great intonation and an almost boy-treble clarity.

The first half concluded with Henry Purcell’s Come Ye Sons of Art, a nine-movement ode written in honour of the birthday of Queen Mary II of England. Expertly accompanied by a small group of musicians, the choir captured the joyous, upbeat nature of the piece and complemented the solos very nicely. Countertenor Lewis Cullen’s lovely tone and vocal dexterity shone through in the duet Sound The Trumpet (sung with conductor Robert Webb) and the aria Strike The Viol. This was matched by bass soloist Alistair Donaghue whose deep tones brought impressive gravitas to the bass solos. Mention should also be made of the soprano aria Bid The Virtues, notable for Chloe Crossley’s hauntingly beautiful oboe accompaniment.

The second half was comprised of one of the aforementioned hidden gems, in the form of The Sprig of Thyme by John Rutter. This collection of arrangements of eleven English and Irish folk songs must surely be one of the lesser-known of Rutter’s works, yet is possibly one of the most beautiful.

Rutter arranged this collection of songs as ‘an affectionate tribute to their composers and poets’, in recognition of the ‘delight and pleasure’ they brought to him in his childhood. The tunes are largely the same, but the simple, classic Rutter harmonies and suspensions breathe new life into them. The songs covered a wide range of styles and tempi, all handled extremely well by the choir under the capable baton of conductor Robert Webb. As with many choirs these days, the men were outnumbered by the ladies, in this case by around two to one, but this was never noticeable to the listener as the balance was well-maintained throughout.