Anyone walking past St Mary’s church, Motcombe on the evening of 13th April would have been treated to the sound of All In The April Evening drifting through the warm spring air as the Gillingham Singers began their Spring Concert.
Inside the church, the audience were treated to a wonderful mix of music from modern British composers, ranging from John Rutter’s The Sprig of Thyme and a collection of folk songs, through to Thomas Tallis’ If Ye Love Me from the mid-1500s. The concert concluding with This is Home by Sophia Efthimiou, which came to public attention during the Covid lock-down.
This is the first concert Gillingham Singers have sung with their new musical director, Richard Nye, with David Grierson providing the accompaniment.
The audience enjoyed other works including Taverner’s The Lamb, where the choir came out from their positions to surround the listeners with a true 360º sound, a selection of songs from Cecila McDowall’s A Fancy of Folksongs and Bob Chilcott’s The Lily and the Rose.
This is Home was then sung as an encore, giving the audience a chance to join in the emotive musical item with sign language, voice or both. A delightful evening for all who attended!
by Mike Turnbull
gillinghamsingers.org
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