Twyford Singers’ 60th anniversary summer concert on Saturday featured the excitement of a competition to compose a song, which was judged at the concert.
The winner, living half a world away in Auckland, New Zealand was David Hamilton, with his setting of the poem Summer Streams by Canadian poet, Bliss William Carman.
Olivia Sparkhill, who judged the competition with two other widely-experienced professional musicians, Gillian Dibden MBE and Scott Stroman, said it had been hard to choose between the three excellent short-listed pieces.
She praised musical aspects of all three, and complimented the choir on their performances. The concert at Loddon Hall last Saturday (25) was the first public performance of the songs.
Competition entrants had to send in a newly-composed piece that reflected one of the anniversary year themes of Hope, Joy and Celebration, with a further theme of Rivers, based on Twyford’s location on the River Loddon.
In David Hamilton’s piece the choir sang beautiful, smooth drifting melodies over the accompanist’s rapid rippling arpeggios – Judith Creighton is to be commended for her superbly-executed accompaniment.
In second place was Alison Willis with an uplifting paean to hope, A New Day Dawning. Martin Hindmarsh took third place with an exciting setting of Psalm 150.
The audience/choir’s vote went to Alison Willis’s A New Day Dawning. The three pieces will now be included in Twyford Singers’ repertoire for future concerts.
Twyford Singers’ chairman, Ann Pearce, dedicated the concert to Russ Openshaw, a well-loved and long-standing member of the choir, who had died suddenly and unexpectedly just a few days before the concert.
Musical director, Helen Styles, said the rest of the concert showcased music the choir sings and enjoys, from sacred pieces such as Bruckner’s ‘Locus Iste’, and Mozart’s ‘Ave Verum’, through folk-inspired pieces such as Vaughan Williams’ ‘Linden Lea’, to opera, operetta and musicals, and Flanders and Swann’s comedic numbers, ‘The Gas Man Cometh’ and ‘Slow Train’.
She encouraged the audience to appreciate how well the choir responded to the differing tones, from serious to rowdy, poignant to comic.
This was the third concert in the anniversary year – each included original music being given its premiere performance.
Twyford Singers welcomes new singers of any level of experience, and no audition is required. We rehearse in Twyford most Tuesday evenings during term-time (September to June), and sing three concerts a year, at the end of each term.
The Christmas concert is on Saturday, December 19 at St Mary’s Church, Twyford, when we hope the congregation can once more join in Christmas carols and songs. For details visit www.twyford-singers.org.uk, or contact the secretary at twyfordsingers@outlook.com.
Janet Moseley
