On a cold December night the Haslemere Musical Society’s choral and orchestral concert brought much cheer to the audience at Haslemere Hall with a fine programme of music in the approach to Christmas.

Although the choir was somewhat light in numbers, they sang heartily in the second half of the evening’s festive musical menu.

The first half was devoted to two orchestral works: first, Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Overture, The Wasps. It shows the benefit of Vaughan Williams’ studies with Ravel, particularly how the strings imitate the sound of wasps buzzing around the landscape. The orchestra began confidently with the folk-inspired melodies.

The second item was Sibelius’s challenging Pelléas and Mélisande, a suite of 12 scenes from the play. A cor anglais solo was beautifully played by Luke Owlett. There was particularly fine playing from the woodwind section.

The Christmas-themed second half had soloists and choir backed by the orchestra.

For Antonio Vivaldi’s Gloria in D, RV 598, the orchestra stepped up a gear and the choir gave it their all.

Soloists Clare Loosley, Kerrie Stevenson (sopranos) and Helen Bendall (alto) sang beautifully, although Helen was suffering health problems which reduced the power of her voice somewhat. This sacred work in 12 sections alternates full choir and solo parts and was the highlight of the concert in my estimation.

A second work by Ralph Vaughan Williams was his lovely Fantasia on Christmas Carols. It includes the folk tune The Truth Sent From Above, beautifully sung by guest bass soloist Thomas Lydon, Come All You Worthy Gentlemen, On Christmas Night and fragments of a further carol. The choir sang this superbly, spendidly backed by the orchestra.

The final work was a favourite carol by French composer Adolphe Adam, Cantique de Noël, known in English as O Holy Night. It was an ideal way to bring the concert to a seasonal close and was again very well sung and accompanied. Well done, Haslemere Musical Society. Their next concert, on March 4, will feature Bizet’s Carmen.

Roger Saunders

Haslemere Recorded Music Society