|
 Facebook
|
 Tweet
|
REVIEW – CAROL CONCERT 13th December 2025
Stanmore Choral Society brought this year’s music-making to a wonderful close on December 13th with its ever-popular Christmas carol concert. Joining the choir in its home venue of St Mary the Virgin church, Kenton were the members of Kids Choir Harrow conducted by Victoria Simmonds.
The concert opened with Bob Chilcott’s superb seasonal celebration ‘On Christmas Night‘ in which the composer blends his own original material with several traditional favourites to great effect. The score also provides for an upper-voice sub-choir where Kids Choir Harrow made a delightful contribution to a well-received performance.
Having marked Chilcott’s 70th birthday in the first half, the choir noted the 80th birthday this year of another contemporary carol composer, John Rutter, in the second half with some of his gems, including Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, Star Carol, Nativity Carol and his arrangement of the lovely Sans Day Carol,.
Kids Choir Harrow contributed their own items to the programme including This Winter’s Night by Emily Barden and The Lights Will Lead Me Home by Lin Marsh, as well as the children’s Christmas staples Away In A Manger and Little Donkey.
The festive atmosphere was enhanced by seasonal readings and audience participation in traditional Christian carols and White Christmas by Irving Berlin. Children from the audience came forward to shake the tambourines and jingle the bells for Jingle Bells.
The concert was brought to a magnificent conclusion by the choir’s rendition with gusto of Rutter’s arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Bob Stonehouse
REVIEW – HANDEL IN STANMORE 5th April 2025
Stanmore Choral Society returned to the magnificent St. Lawrence, Whitchurch in Little Stanmore for its 2025 spring concert. This was the choir’s second performance of Handel’s music in the church where he himself played the organ – the first being in 2023. This concert also featured work by Johann Christoph Pepusch who succeeded Handel as director of music there.
The concert began with a performance of Handel’s Chandos anthems, thought to have received their first performance in this church . With O come let us sing unto the lord the Handel style was clear, with settings of texts from the Psalms, and the last chorus of Rejoice in the Lord ye righteous left the righteous in no doubt whatsoever about what was expected of them!
It it possible that the next item in the programme, O Praise the Lord by Pepusch, was being heard in this church for the first time since the 1720s. James Mooney-Dutton then gave a note-perfect rendering of Handel’s short but delightful organ work Fugue in F Major on the very instrument Handel is assumed to have played – though it has been modernised over the years, including a reconstruction in 1994.
The final item, the Foundling Hospital Anthem, was composed by Handel for the benefit of the Foundling Hospital in central London which provided social care for deserted children. The anthem’s last movement is the magnificent Hallelujah Chorus, normally associated with the Handel’s oratorio Messiah. The choir sang it with an energy and zest which demonstrated very clearly that keen amateur singers can, in conjunction with their professional colleagues, produce wonderful and uplifting music.
The Brydges players provided excellent strings accompaniment and tenor soloist James Edgeler gave a performance brimming with quality and clarity – no wonder he has been described as ‘a voice to watch’.
Bob Stonehouse
PERFORMANCE LIST 1983 – 2025 |
||
| KARL JENKINS | The Armed Man | 2025 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, ELGAR, SMYTH | A Land without Music? | 2025 |
| HANDEL | Handel in Stanmore | 2025 |
| RUTTER, BURLEIGH and PRICE, GERSHWIN, BERNSTEIN | Feel the Spirit | 2024 |
| STANFORD, PARRY, SUMSION, McDOWALL, GILBERT & SULLIVAN | Down to The Sea | 2024 |
| BENJAMIN BRITTEN, HAYDN | Saint NICOLAS, Missa Sancti Nicolai | 2024 |
| BRAHMS, MENDELSSOHN, HENSEL, SCHUBERT, SCHUMANN, HAYDN, MOZART | An die Musik, an evening of German music | 2023 |
| RUTTER, DRING, G TURNER | A sprig of thyme & folk song arrangements | 2023 |
| HANDEL | Coronation Anthems and O praise the Lord | 2023 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, MCDOWALL | Fantasia on Christmas Carols and A Winter’s Night | 2022 |
| FAURE, BOULANGER, FRANCK | Come and Sing Requiem and other works | 2022 |
| SHEARING, CHILCOTT, TODD | Summer Evening Jazz | 2022 |
| MOZART, VIVALDI | Coronation Mass and Gloria | 2022 |
| Covid Lockdown | No rehearsals/concerts | 2020 |
| HANDEL, PARRY, BALFOUR GARDINER | Come & Sing | 2019 |
| VARIOUS | Mid-Atlantic Song | 2019 |
| VERDI | Requiem – Three Choirs Concert | 2019 |
| ROSSINI & RHEINBERGER | Petite Messe Solennelle; Stabat Mater | 2018 |
| RUTTER, songs by CHILCOTT and others | Feel the Spirit | 2018 |
| DURUFLE, BRUCKNER, MOZART, MENDELSSOHN and others | Duruflé’s Requiem and more | 2018 |
| MOZART | Solemn Vespers & Requiem | 2017 |
| GERSHWIN, GILBERT & SULLIVAN | Reduced Concert Performance of The Mikado & A Gershwin Portrait | 2017 |
| RUTTER and others | The Sprig of Thyme – and more | 2017 |
| HANDEL | Come & Sing Messiah | 2016 |
| BRITTEN, PURCELL, RUTTER | Rejoice in the Lamb/Come Ye Sons of Art, Away/Te Deum | 2016 |
| HAYDN | Little Organ Mass | 2015 |
| FAURE | Requiem | 2015 |
| VIVALDI | Gloria | 2015 |
| SCHUBERT | Mass in G | 2014 |
| TELEMANN | Laudate Jehovam | 2014 |
| MOZART | Sparrow Mass (Missa Brevis in C) | 2014 |
| ORFF | Carmina Burana | 2014 |
| BACH | Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring | 2013 |
| STAINER | God so loved the world | 2013 |
| ELGAR | Ave verum corpus | 2013 |
| HANDEL | Zadok the Priest | 2013 |
| MOZART | Ave Verum | 2013 |
| BACH | Ave Maria | 2013 |
| GOODALL | The Lord is my Shepherd | 2013 |
| MASCAGNI | Easter Hymn | 2013 |
| MOZART | Lacrimosa from the Requiem | 2013 |
| TALLIS | If Ye Love Me | 2013 |
| RUTTER | Sprig of Thyme | 2012 |
| BRAHMS | Requiem 1 | 2012 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Elijah | 2012 |
| CHILCOTT | A Little Jazz Mass | 2012 |
| HOROWITZ | Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo | 2012 |
| ELGAR | Songs from the Bavarian High1ands | 2011 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Five Mystical Songs | 2011 |
| HANDEL | Messiah | 2011 |
| CHILCOTT | Be Thou my Vision | 2011 |
| CHILCOTT | Requiem | 2011 |
| GOUNOD | Messe Solonelle de Sainte Cécile | 2011 |
| RUTTER | Anthems | 2011 |
| HAYDN | Creation | 2010 |
| HAYDN | Maria Theresa Mass | 2010 |
| MOZART | Solemn Vespers | 2010 |
| ELGAR | Music Makers | 2009 |
| BRITTEN | St Nikolas | 2009 |
| BERNSTEIN | Ascot Gavotte | 2009 |
| BRICUSSE & WILDHORN | This is the Moment | 2009 |
| BRITTEN | Ceremony of Carols | 2009 |
| GERSHWIN | A Gershwin Portrait | 2009 |
| JENKINS | The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace | 2009 |
| KERN & HAMMERSTEIN | Make Believe | 2009 |
| Loewe & Lerner | Ascot Gavotte | 2009 |
| Novello & Hassal | Waltz of my Heart | 2009 |
| Novello | We’ll Gather Lilacs | 2009 |
| RODGERS & Hart | Bewitched | 2009 |
| SCHMIDT & JONES | Try to Remember | 2009 |
| HAYDN | Nelson Mass | 2008 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Benedicite | 2008 |
| ROSSINI | Petite Messe Solennelle | 2008 |
| PURCELL | Come, Ye Sons of Art | 2008 |
| SULLIVAN | Selection | 2008 |
| HANDEL | Let God Arise | 2006 |
| HANDEL | The King Shall Rejoice | 2006 |
| FAURE | Requiem | 2006 |
| BOYCE | Turn Thee unto me, O Lord | 2006 |
| FINZI | Intimations of Immortality | 2006 |
| GREENE | Lord, Let me know mine end | 2006 |
| HANDEL | Te Deum | 2006 |
| RACHMANINOV | The Bells (3 choirs) | 2006 |
| ORFF | Carmina Burana | 2005 |
| HANDEL | Messiah | 2005 |
| BARTLET | Of all the Birds | 2005 |
| FARMER | Fair Phyllis | 2005 |
| FORD | Since First I Saw Your Face | 2005 |
| GIBBONS | The Silver Swan | 2005 |
| GERSHWIN arr. ROBERTS | Stompin at the Savoy | 2005 |
| HASSLER | Tanzen und Springen | 2005 |
| MORLEY | Now is the month of Maying | 2005 |
| PARRY | Music, When Soft Voices Die | 2005 |
| ROBERTS (Arr.) | Early One Morning | 2005 |
| ROBERTS (Arr.) | O Waly Waly | 2005 |
| ROBERTS (Arr.) | Strawberry Fair | 2005 |
| RODGERS, arr.ROBERTS | Manhattan | 2005 |
| SCHUBERT | Der Tanz | 2005 |
| STANFORD | The Blue Bird | 2005 |
| BACH | Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring | 2004 |
| STAINER | God so loved the world | 2004 |
| ELGAR | Ave verum corpus | 2004 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Hear my Prayer | 2004 |
| DURUFLE | Requiem | 2004 |
| HANDEL | Zadok the Priest | 2004 |
| HAYDN | Insanae et Vanae | 2004 |
| MOZART | Ave Verum | 2004 |
| MOZART | Laudate Dominum | 2004 |
| BRUCKNER | Locus Iste | 2004 |
| ELGAR | The Spirit of the Lord | 2004 |
| FINZI | Lo, the full final sacrifice | 2004 |
| GIBBONS | This is the Record of John | 2004 |
| HANDEL | Let the bright Seraphim | 2004 |
| JANÁCEK | Otcenas – The Lord’s Prayer (in English) | 2004 |
| LEIGHTON | Awake, My Glory | 2004 |
| PARRY | I was glad | 2004 |
| PARRY | Blest Pair of Sirens | 2004 |
| SEATON | The Greatest is Love | 2004 |
| STANFORD | For Lo, I Raise Up | 2004 |
| STANFORD | Te Deum | 2004 |
| TAVENER | Song for Athene | 2004 |
| WISE M. | The ways of Zion do Mourn | 2004 |
| WESLEY S.S. | The Wilderness | 2004 |
| WILLIAM LLOYD WEBBER | Divine Compassion | 2003 |
| BRITTEN | St Nikolas | 2003 |
| ELGAR | Dream of Gerontius | 2003 |
| PURCELL | Dido and Aeneas | 2003 |
| PURCELL | Welcome to All the Pleasures | 2003 |
| PURCELL | Rejoice in the Lord Always | 2003 |
| DVORAK | Mass in D | 2002 |
| BRITTEN | Rejoice in the Lamb | 2002 |
| FAURE | Cantique de Jean Racine | 2002 |
| BRITTEN | Festival Te Deum in E | 2002 |
| MOZART | Spatzenmesse | 2002 |
| SEATON | Requiem | 2002 |
| WILLIAM LLOYD WEBBER | Divine Compassion | 2001 |
| HANDEL | Foundling Hospital Anthem | 2001 |
| HANDEL | Messiah (Christmas Music) | 2001 |
| HANDEL | Messiah (Part 1) | 2001 |
| LANGFORD | Te Deum | 2001 |
| RUTTER | Psalm Fest | 2001 |
| SULLIVAN | Trial by Jury | 2001 |
| VIVALDI | Magnificat | 2001 |
| HANDEL | Zadok the Priest | 2000 |
| BACH | Cantata 147 | 2000 |
| BACH | Magnificat | 2000 |
| BEETHOVEN | Mass in D | 2000 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Psalm 95 | 2000 |
| STAINER | Crucifixion | 2000 |
| GRAND OPERA NIGHTS | 1999 | |
| DYSON | Canterbury Pilgrims | 1999 |
| HANDEL | Judas Maccabaeus | 1999 |
| FAURE | Requiem | 1998 |
| FAURE | Cantique de Jean Racine | 1998 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Five Mystical Songs | 1998 |
| ELGAR | Psalm 48 | 1998 |
| ELGAR | Psalm 29 | 1998 |
| HANDEL | Messiah (Easter Music) | 1998 |
| MOZART | Requiem | 1998 |
| SYMANOWSKI | Stabat Mater | 1998 |
| WALTON | Belshazzar’s Feast | 1998 |
| WALTON | Henry V | 1998 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Benedicite | 1997 |
| RUTTER | Sprig of Thyme | 1997 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | An Oxford Elegy | 1997 |
| BRAHMS | Begrabnisgesang | 1997 |
| BRITTEN | Choral dances from Gloriana | 1997 |
| HARVEY | Everyone Sang | 1997 |
| LANGFORD | Ditty in Praise of Eliza | 1997 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Psalm 42 | 1997 |
| SCHUBERT | Mass in A flat | 1997 |
| BRITTEN | War Requiem | 1996 |
| HANDEL | Samson | 1996 |
| HAYDN | Nelson Mass | 1995 |
| PURCELL | King Arthur | 1995 |
| BEETHOVEN | Choral Fantasia | 1995 |
| BEETHOVEN | Mass in C | 1995 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Hymn of Praise | 1995 |
| RUTTER | When Icicles Hang | 1994 |
| BACH | Cantata 150 | 1994 |
| BACH | Coffee Cantata | 1994 |
| BERLIOZ | Te Deum | 1994 |
| BLISS | Pastoral | 1994 |
| HOLST | Hymn of Jesus | 1994 |
| ROSE | O Lord our Governor | 1994 |
| SCHUBERT | God in the Thunderstorm | 1994 |
| SCHUBERT | Mass in G | 1994 |
| SCHUBERT | Psa1m 23 | 1994 |
| VIVALDI | Credo RV 591 | 1994 |
| VIVALDI | Gloria RV 589 | 1994 |
| RUTTER | When Icicles Hang | 1993 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Hear my Prayer | 1993 |
| DVORAK | Mass in D | 1993 |
| PARRY | Hear my Words ye People | 1993 |
| COLERIDGE TAYLOR | Hiawathas Wedding Feast | 1993 |
| DVORAK | The American Flag | 1993 |
| LAMBERT | Rio Grande | 1993 |
| STANFORD | Biblical Songs | 1993 |
| ELGAR | Music Makers | 1992 |
| BERLIOZ | Grande Messe des Morts | 1992 |
| DYSON | In Honour of the City | 1992 |
| ELGAR | Sea Pictures (alto solo) | 1992 |
| HANDEL | Israel in Egypt | 1992 |
| GRAND OPERA NIGHTS | 1991 | |
| ELGAR | Songs from the Bavarian High1ands | 1991 |
| DURUFLE | Requiem | 1991 |
| MOZART | Regina Coeli | 1991 |
| BEETHOVEN | Cantata on the Death of Joseph II | 1991 |
| BERNSTEIN | Chichester Psalms | 1991 |
| BUSH | Five Choral Dances | 1991 |
| CARTER | Benedicite | 1991 |
| PARRY | The Pied Piper of Hamelin | 1991 |
| WESLEY S.S. | Anthems | 1991 |
| HANDEL | Let God Arise | 1990 |
| BRITTEN | St Nikolas | 1990 |
| BRITTEN | Rejoice in the Lamb | 1990 |
| MENDELSSOHN | l.auda Sion | 1990 |
| SCHUBERT | Song of Miriam | 1990 |
| SPOHR | The last Judgement | 1990 |
| STRAUSS | Tales from the Vienna Forest | 1990 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | In Windsor Forest | 1990 |
| VERDI | Requiem | 1990 |
| ROSSINI | Petite Messe Solennelle | 1989 |
| HANDEL | The King Shall Rejoice | 1989 |
| HANDEL | Zadok the Priest | 1989 |
| FAURE | Requiem | 1989 |
| FAURE | Cantique de Jean Racine | 1989 |
| BACH | St. John Passion | 1989 |
| BERLIOZ | Hymne a la France | 1989 |
| FAURE | Madrigal | 1989 |
| PURCELL | Te Deum | 1989 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | An Oxford Elegy | 1988 |
| BRAHMS | Requiem 1 | 1988 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Elijah | 1988 |
| DVORAK | Te Deum | 1988 |
| FINZI | In Terra Pax | 1988 |
| TIPPETT | Negro Spirituals | 1988 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Fantasia on Christmas Carols | 1988 |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Five Mystical Songs | 1987 |
| ELGAR | Psalm 48 | 1987 |
| PARRY | Hear my Words ye People | 1987 |
| HAYDN | Insanae et Vanae | 1987 |
| ELGAR | Psalm 29 | 1987 |
| BRAHMS | Song of Destiny | 1987 |
| BRAHMS | Song of the Fates | 1987 |
| PUCCINI | Messa di Gloria | 1987 |
| SULLIVAN | Mikado/Pirates of Penzance | 1987 |
| BRAHMS | Begrabnisgesang | 1986 |
| BRUCKNER | Te Deum | 1986 |
| HAYDN | The Seasons | 1986 |
| HANDEL | Messiah | 1985 |
| HANDEL | Joshua | 1985 |
| MENDELSSOHN | St. Paul | 1985 |
| PURCELL | King Arthur | 1984 |
| DVORAK | Stabat Mater | 1984 |
| MOZART | Regina Coeli | 1983 |
| MOZART | Ave Verum | 1983 |
| MOZART | Laudate Dominum | 1983 |
| BRUCKNER | Motets | 1983 |
| MOZART | Mass in C minor | 1983 |