Farnham Youth Choir
On December 4 the senior choir performed in Farnham Town Council’s annual Civic Christmas Carol Service, hosted by the mayor of Farnham, Cllr Brodie Mauluka.
The service began with Once In Royal David’s City, including the traditional treble solo verse beautifully sung by Max Wilson.
In addition to the readings and audience carols, the varied programme included Wolcum Yole from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, the much-loved Carol of the Bells, a great new arrangement of Gaudete by alumna Suzzi Vango and Errollyn Wallen’s haunting Peace On Earth.
The choir, who were expertly led by their artistic director Patrick Barrett and accompanied on the piano and organ by Matthew Rickard, were delighted to receive compliments from the mayor and audience on their impeccable performances.
Next up was the gala concert featuring all three choirs - the training choir, junior choir and senior choir - on December 7 in the Medici Theatre at Weydon School.
The packed house was treated to brilliant performances by the junior choir, conducted by Margaret O’Shea and accompanied by Susan Norman, of the evocative songs The Bat and The Firefly by Andy Beck, as well as an extremely joyful rendition of O Come All Ye Faithful arranged by Masa Fukuda.
The training choir, conducted on this occasion by Sally Hollyer, were not to be outdone and their performance of A New Star was equally joyful, followed by two slower and atmospheric songs about snow, with an impressive performance in Italian of the carol Dormi, Dormi to finish their set.
The singing was interspersed with readings by young people and adults in keeping with the concert’s theme of ‘Peace on Earth’.
One of the many highlights of the evening was John Williams’ Somewhere In My Memory, from the film Home Alone, sung by the combined choirs, followed by an exuberant rendition of The Twelve Days Of Christmas with actions, to round off an evening of high-quality music-making.
The final performance of the Christmas season was given by the senior choir on December 9 at Farnham Castle.
This event, for invited guests including the mayor of Farnham, raised money for The Vine Centre, which supports adults and families who are socially isolated, long-term unemployed, homeless or poorly housed, or suffering with mental health issues, addictions or learning difficulties.
Derek Carpenter, chair of the Farnham Castle Charity and Trust, said: “The good the Farnham Youth Choir does for our community goes a lot deeper than simply a happy, smiling audience on the night. A lot of disadvantaged people will benefit indirectly, and for some time, from the choir’s wonderful performance.
“We wish all our singers, families and supporters a wonderful Christmas and peaceful new year.”
Leigh Barnett
Alton Concert Band
The Wonder Of Christmas concert at the Alton Maltings Centre on December 7 was a resounding success.
With tickets selling out well before this popular annual event, a full house enjoyed the Alton Concert Band joining once more with the Alton Choral Society and the Ancora Female Voice Choir.
Along with the traditional programme of seasonal numbers, we were treated to an outstanding flute duet playing Mark Pope’s Dawn Of Peace and some beautiful cello accompaniment to Ancora’s rendition of A Manger Filled With Love.
Even conductors Jeremy Morrish and Wendy Busby joined forces to give a lovely performance of A C Adams’ O Holy Night.
Alongside well-loved pieces such as Christmas Glory, An English Christmas and Rutter’s Shepherd’s Pipe Carol, this year’s playlist included Masters In This Hall and a kids’ favourite in The Polar Express.
Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You got everyone singing, while the audience, who had braved terrible weather, was invited to stand and sing along with several well-known carols.
Compère Nick Wright tied the whole thing together and provided much mirth with his customary Christmas Tale monologue.
Everyone was delighted with the performance, the convivial atmosphere and that the generous voluntary donations and takings from the raffle provided £741 for the Home-Start community network.
The Arts Society Haslemere
The talk by the December speaker, Mark Meredith, was on the subject of When Winters Were Wonderful: Life and Leisure in The Canada of Yesteryear.
Members enjoyed a fascinating talk delivered by an engaging speaker about life in Canada for the officers of the British Empire.
It was said that “no quarters in the world were as delightful as Quebec”, and it was in winter that the Canadian social season sprang to life.
Crisp, moonlit nights provided a perfect backdrop for midnight sleigh rides between country taverns - ladling out hot punch; torchlit walks on snowshoes to picnics under frozen waterfalls; balls and champagne suppers on ice; daring toboggan runs; and faux battles fought with fireworks between ice castles lit up by fire.
Arrayed in rich furs and the bright colours associated with the trappings of the ancient regime, the men and women of Canada’s upper middle classes lived "in splendid style and were found in the extreme of convivial amusements”.
In tandem with the officers, they laid on “large parties every night, dancing till four or five in the morning,” prompting one English lady to remark “the restlessness of the city astonished me very much”.
Through amazing art and amusing anecdotes, Mark Meredith gave members a nostalgic look back at when winters were wonderful.
Alton & Petersfield District Bell Ringers
The ringers had a Christmas outing to Guildford Cathedral and Froyle Church.
Storm Darragh did not stop the intrepid band of Alton & Petersfield District Bell Ringers making their way to Guildford Cathedral, ascending the 144 steps up the spiral stairs to the ringing room, with a further 100 steps to the gallery overlooking the 12 bells, ten of which were installed in 1965, with a further two installed in 1972 and 1975 making up the ring of 12, the tenor bell weighing 30 cwt (1,524.07 kg).
With kind permission of the Guildford tower, with Guildford’s assistant ringing master Richard Burton on hand, the district ringers rang rounds, call changes and the methods Plain Hunt, Grandsire Caters and Grandsire Cinques.
The band, wearing ear defenders, also had the chance to see, from the gallery above, the bells in action.
As part of the outing, some ringers went instead to the lovely little 14th century church of St Mary’s at Upper Froyle, which has a ring of six bells dating back to 1724, the tenor weighing 10 cwt (508.023 kg).
There followed a Christmas meal at the Hen & Chicken Inn at Lower Froyle, built in 1746 as Chase House, where stage coaches on their way to London would stop while the horses were changed and passengers took a meal.
Thanks were given to the organisers - the Alton & Petersfield District chairman Simon Poyser, district secretary Rachael Barbar, assistant secretary Lissie Stern, treasurer Nicholas James and ringing master Jessica Hornsby - for a truly splendid outing.
Glyndebourne Opera
Harting Community Hall is hosting Glyndebourne Opera’s production of Die Zauberflöte on January 25 at 6pm.
Searching for love, Tamino finds much more than he bargained for. Faced with a decision he must choose between darkness and light, order and chaos, duty and desire. Which will it be?
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) is one of Mozart’s most enchanting works, a fairytale that asks provocative and difficult questions about religion, the nature of power, the bonds of family, and of course love.
Premiered at Festival 2019, this high-energy production of Die Zauberflöte sets the action in a Viennese hotel at the turn of the last century. This staging by celebrated director-designer duo André Barbe and Renaud Doucet takes a fresh and playful look at Mozart’s great opera.
But just as Die Zauberflöte’s musical charm – its catchy melodies, lively comedy and colourful cast of characters – conceals a complex and ambiguous piece, so this production also has its serious side.
Inspired by the pioneering women of the Suffragette movement, the production explores ideas of female power and desire and asks how a woman can gain authority in a man’s world.
The beauty of Mozart’s operatic allegory is its adaptability. Whether you want an innocent comedy or something rather more sophisticated, it’s all here in this endlessly perplexing and fascinating work.
Audience members should bring their own picnic food for the dinner interval. Tables and chairs will be provided.
The doors and bar open at 5.30pm and the performance starts at 6pm, with one dinner interval of 30 minutes when picnics can be eaten, the bar will be open and ice creams will be sold.
For tickets, priced £12, book at [email protected] and pay on the door with cash or a card. Tables for four to six people can be reserved.
The Alton Society
The society’s 52nd annual general meeting took place on November 9 at the Alton Maltings Centre.
Proceedings were introduced by Tony Souter and our chairman David Simpkins welcomed guests.
He said: “With the challenges coming down the line to face the Alton community, it’s important that this society, together with all others, is in a position to make appropriate representations, objections and constructive criticisms to East Hampshire District Council or our town council.
“To achieve that we will use the knowledge of the committee and any other members who have the local knowledge and experience to assist.”