Plumpton Parish Church

Dalston Male Voice Choir gave one of their justly celebrated concerts in Plumpton Parish Church and a full church responded enthusiastically to a splendid evening of easy listening music.

The programme was wittily introduced throughout by Michael Williams, and as usual the choir was under the direction of Hilary Hodgson, who has been in charge since its formation in 1985. Sadly, she feels she must retire after 27 years, and it is clear that she will be very hard to replace.

Some of the audience were privileged to be present for the brief rehearsal before the concert began, and it was interesting to see just how well the choir had responded to Hilary's incisive corrections once the programme was actually under way.

We were treated to a wide range of light and semi-classical music, from spirituals to folk tunes to jazz items, while at the more serious end of the scale we enjoyed music by Faure and Verdi via Roger Quilter. Accompanying the choir on keyboard was Lorraine Gash, whose sensitive playing was particularly applauded in the 'thank you' speech afterwards by The Reverend Nigel Byard, the new priest at Plumpton.

The star of the evening was 16 year old Daniel Brunskill from Carlisle, who dazzled the big audience with his alto saxophone playing. Daniel, a pupil of Trinity School, goes each weekend to the music school at The Sage, Gateshead, where he is also a member of Jambone, the Sage Youth Jazz Band.

He is the latest in an impressive list of accomplished young musicians to appear with the Dalston Male Voice Choir, which has a policy of encouraging up and coming vocalists and instrumentalists. In one choir item Daniel also impressed as an accompanist on the maracas!

Plumpton Church is where this choir recorded their second CD 'Ain't Misbehavin' in 2006, and it was good to welcome them back for their fifth visit over ten years. They are a competent and disciplined group who never fail to give of their enthusiastic best, and thoroughly deserved the sustained applause at the end of a pleasant and toe-tapping evening.