Silver Jubilee Concert

A fanfare flourish heralded the beginning of Dalston Male Voice Choir’s Silver Jubilee Concert.

From its inception as a small group of unison singers has emerged a choir whose performance surpassed that of any male voice choir I have heard in recent years.

Michael Williams proved an entertaining announcer. He created an instant rapport with the audience, drawing them into the afternoon’s versatile, varied programme that commenced with the lively anthem With a Voice of Singing and soothed to a gentle conclusion with Softly, as I Leave You.

Hilary Hodgson displayed her prowess as a musical director throughout the afternoon. Particularly effective were the choir’s use of a glorious range of dynamics (pianissimo sections being especially noteworthy) and crisp staccato, both employed in Verdi’s Speed Your Journey; their excellent diction, heard in the complex rhythmic tongue-teasers of The Rhythm of Life and their superb legato singing, as demonstrated in The Rose (of Bette Midler fame).

Teenager Katrina Evans, guest trumpeter, performed a challenging repertoire of contrasting pieces which enabled her to display a broad range of developing skills. In particular, her rendition of Bernstein’s Red, White and Blues was warmly received.

Sensitive, unobtrusive accompaniments, that greatly enhanced the performances, were provided by Lorraine Gash (choir) and Andrew Walker (soloist).

As befitted the occasion, three members of the original group of 1985, Michael Coulthard, Derek Heyes and David Dickinson, presented floral tributes to Katrina Evans, Lorraine Gash and Hilary Hodgson. An excellent afternoon drew to a close with an uplifting ‘spiritual’ encore, I’m Gonna Walk.