On Saturday evening, 30th November, St Mary's Church was bulging with a near-to-capacity audience for 'The Phantom of Haddenham' concert by the Witchert Chorale complemented by a narrated story interwoven between musical pieces, written and delivered in an inimitable style by Ed Cairns.
Ed, a former Haddenham resident, had travelled down from Norwich with his partner Alison to participate in the evening's presentation, and Alison added her voice to some of the singing.
Under the musical direction of David Quinn, the finely honed voices of the choir covered a diverse repertoire, from the 16th Century (Tallis, Byrd, Gibbons and Monteverdi) through the 19th Century (Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Puccini and Fauré) and the 20th Century (Howells, Gjeilo, Young, Nix and Hall) right through to the 21st Century, with a piece from Kate Rusby.
Some pieces benefitted from the additional richness of stringed accompaniment from Lindsay Watson and Chris Nurse on Violins and Kate Kennedy on cello.
Other pieces enjoyed a vibrant accompaniment by the church organ, under the skilled hands of Richard Smith
To add a touch of levity, the programme included pieces sung in 'barber shop harmony' by chaps in boaters!
The evening concluded with the very familiar Nessun Dorma from Puccini's opera, Turandot.
Wine and Canapés were served at the interval by members of the Village Society Committee and sincere thanks are extended to members of the Village Society and St Mary's Church for donating the canapés. Special thanks are due to Lizzie Banister for coordinating the catering and to Lydia and Guy Redshaw for assisting with the important job of pouring wine!
Monies raised from the concert will be distributed at the discretion of the Witchert Chorale, to the Friends of Haddenham Church (Fabric Fund) and the Village Society.
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