Ashbourne Telegraph review of the concert
ON A WORLD TOUR!
From Oban via ‘Loch Lomond’, in flight (well almost) to Argentina, dreaming in California ,chanting in Africa, dancing in Slovakia, ‘miserable’ in France to our own ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ the capacity audience in St John’s church travelled ‘Around the World in Song .’
‘I’m on Top of the World’ chorused the enthusiastic voices of the Ashbourne Singers Community Choir and indeed we were, as this talented choir even surpassed their previous performances to transport us ‘Around the World in Song’.
In such a lively ,sparkling programme, it is difficult to pick out the highlights, but it was the first humorous item…The ‘Lakme Flower Duet’ (as you never heard it before) as two B.A. ‘air hostesses’ produced the inflight entertainment, complete with ‘props’, which set the audience alight.
A further duet of ‘Thank You for the Music’ gave the audience an opportunity to stretch their vocal chords too! In total contrast, the two small group items ‘:Musik der Nacht’ and ‘She’s Like the Swallow’ directed by the choir’s talented accompanist Steve Duckworth illustrated the ability and quality of singers in the choir.
The success of a programme like this has to be not only the musical director’s carefully selected choice of items but the nurturing of the singers to perform each piece with the appropriate dynamics and feelings. Full choir medleys with piano and drum accompanists , an a cappella rendering of ‘Danny Boy’ , to moving solos in ‘West Side Story’ and ‘Les Miserables’, this programme had something for everyone.
In Linda Perry Smith the Ashbourne Singers are indeed fortunate to have a young, gifted director who inspires, motivates and supports each and every member to produce a performance of this calibre.
From the faithful supporters to the newly converted, the accolades of ‘fantastic’, ‘beautiful’, ‘terrific’, ‘super concert’, ‘wonderful solo’ it was clear that this audience had enjoyed every moment ,and they showed it further by enthusiastically joining in the finale of ‘Rule Brittania .’
Close your eyes and you could have been in the Royal Albert Hall! Will this be this choir’s next location….who knows? Watch this space!