Full house for 10th annual night celebrating singers and instrumentalists

Annual concert, St Mary’s Church, Wargrave
Saturday, November 15

FOR the church’s 10th annual concert, a capacity audience was entertained with a wide variety of music, all performed by largely local but highly talented artists. Peter Dart, St Mary’s director of music, introduced each act, although he had been sternly warned by his three children who were performing, Charlie, Katie and Rosie, not to embarrass them.

Paul Speed on trumpet opened with John Stanley’s baroque Trumpet Voluntary, followed by the Dart sisters, Rosie and Katie, singing two delightful duets from Stephen Schwartz’s popular musical Wicked.

Elif Cansever, who is studying at the Royal College of Music, performed Johannes Brahms’s Violin Sonata in D Minor. Its progression from tender lyricism to stormy virtuosity entranced the audience. Elif later performed Niccolo Paganini’s La Campanella, showcasing her astonishing virtuosity.

Elif was expertly accompanied by Misha Kaploukhill on piano, who went on to entertain with Busoni’s Turandot’s Frauengemach Elegy No 4, with its complex variations around the easily recognisable melody from Greensleeves. Misha also graduated from Royal College of Music and is currently studying for a Master of Performance

Many proud parents were present to watch the children’s choir from Robert Piggott Junior School sing When You Believe, made famous by Whitney Houston, and This Is Me from The Greatest Showman. Their youthful confidence and enthusiasm received sustained applause.

Wargrave Community Choir began their session by singing Eric Whitacre’s The Seal Lullaby, set to Rudyard Kipling’s poem. An ABBA medley provided popular hit after hit. For their final song, John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads, music director David Knight successfully encouraged audience participation.

More local talent was evident by Juliette Artigala singing and playing on piano the timeless ballad Alfie, by Burt Bacharach. Kate Chislett on flute and Laura Anstee on cello sensitively performed Frank Bridge’s masterpiece Miniature No 2 Romance, accompanied by Misha Kaploukhill. Charlie Dart evoked the lure of the sea by singing Trade Winds by John Masefield and Frederick Keel.

Kirsty Taylor-Stokes, an international opera singer and graduate from the Royal College of Music, is well known at St Mary’s Church. She provoked great amusement when taking to the stage by refusing to use a microphone. The audience soon found out why, when her strong lyrical soprano voice reverberated loudly throughout the church. Her selections of Lascia Ch’io pianga from Handel’s opera Rinaldo, followed by Tosca’s Vissi D’arte, were delivered with great passion and visible emotion, producing a memorable performance.

Apollo 5, a five-piece vocal ensemble from London, have been playing with international success since their formation 15 years ago. Their unaccompanied repertoire included renaissance, classical, contemporary choral, folk, jazz and pop, including C H Parry’s Victorian choral piece My Soul and Jerome Kern and Dorothy Field’s swing time The Way You Look Tonight. Their final song was a poignant reimagining of the Yazoo No 1 hit sung by Alison Moyet, Only You, originally written by Vince Clark.

Vicar David Chislett warmly thanked the artists for sharing their talents and bringing great joy to the community.

Terry Grourk