Youth choir’s joyous collaboration summed up 10 years of excellence

Henley Youth Choir and Studio Forcada summer concert
Sacred Heart Church
Sunday, June 22

AT the start of the concert, Studio Forcada director, Claudio, spoke of “how music can connect”, referring to the fact that his daughter, Alejandra, is a member of both the choir and the orchestra, but his comment summed up the afternoon.

There were many connections, between players and singers, pieces classical and modern, songs of youth and age, composers of the globe. Overall, the programme was the musical embodiment of summer, with its sunshine and life.

The beautiful church was rightly full: this was a well-rehearsed and excellently performed concert, led by conductors Richard Harker (choir), and Claudio Forcada and Kerry Sharp (orchestra). The distinguished accompanists were Anita D’Attellis and Mark Kinkaid.

Studio Forcada opened with the gloriously romantic Poem by Fibich, and then a lilting Tucan by Johow. The Junior Henley Youth Choir were then accompanied by the orchestra in the rousing Down by the Riverside, arranged by Richard Harker. The choir then obviously enjoyed singing Birdhouse in Your Soul, by They Might be Giants, mastering its complicated lyrics.

Alejandra Forcada then gave the first of two wonderful solos, singing The Girl in the Little Green Hat, by Olson, whose rapid lyrics build in complexity.

Alejandra gave a huge smile of relief at the song’s successful close! Daisy Cunningham followed with a charming rendition of Another Day of Sun from La La Land. Alejandra then returned with her violin to play the lovely piece, A Town with an Ocean View by Hisaishi.

It was now the turn of the Senior Henley Youth Choir, with a wistful Danny Boy and the Wicked song What is this Feeling? by Schwartz (including the lyric “And I will be loathing, loathing you my whole life long”, much enjoyed by singers and audience).

Tabitha Bromley from the Senior Choir then sang I Try, by Macy Gray, filling the piece with emotion. Samira Axinei followed with Wishing you were Somehow Here Again from The Phantom of the Opera, with strength and perfect intonation.

The solos continued with Caellum Sharp on violin, playing a fiendishly fast The Bee by François Schubert, seemingly with ease. Caellum told us that he had been with Studio Forcada for 10 years and that this was one of the first pieces he had played with the group. Misha and Andrei Yakovlev then played Allegro Energico by Mozkowski with confidence and verve.

All of the singers and orchestra returned with Ave Verum Corpus by Mozart and Over the Rainbow by Arlen, and the penultimate item was Concerto in A Minor (1st movement) by Johann Sebastian Bach, the soloist being the highly talented Annabelle Chen.

The whole ensemble re-joined for Adiemus by Karl Jenkins, followed by Happy Birthday celebrating 10 years of the Henley Youth Choir.

It had been a highly accomplished and joyous concert, and hopefully, the first of many such collaborations between choir and orchestra.

Jane Redley