The Waverley Singers presented an accomplished and much enjoyed programme of French and English music to a full house at St Andrew’s Church in Farnham on June 22.

The programme, conducted by musical director Richard Pearce and accompanied by organist Philip Scriven, started with Orlando Gibbons’ Drop, Drop Slow Teares, which set the tone with its quiet simplicity. Stanford’s 3 Motets op 38 were elegantly performed, the double choir format in Coelos Ascendit particularly effective in its bright clarity.

Purcell’s incredible Hear My Prayer arises as a single thread in the alto part, the other seven vocal parts weaving in turn as the music gradually rises in volume and pitch, the sinuous lines forming expressive dissonances. Fauré’s poignant Cantique de Jean Racine was in sharp contrast to the first movement of Widor’s Symphony No 5 for organ, performed with tremendous panache by Philip Scriven, to the audience’s delight.

Parry’s Songs of Farewell were written from 1916 to 1918 and reflect his despair about the First World War. The first four of these were performed, including My Soul there is a Country, sung at the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, and There is An Old Belief, sung at Parry’s own funeral. The choir sang with sensitivity, capturing the poignancy of the texts.

Fauré’s much-loved Requiem afforded the opportunity for all sections of the choir to shine, the altos and tenors in the Offertorium, the basses, assuming the role of baritone soloist, in the quietly impassioned Libera Me, and the sopranos in the shimmering In Paradisum. The beautiful Pie Jesu was sung with elegant simplicity by Tracy Smith.

This was a polished and very enjoyable concert. The retiring collection for the Cheryl King Trust raised £1,124. The choir then visited Normandy, delighting audiences in Lisieux and Honfleur.

Alyson Paterson