As part of the millennium celebrations, Aylesbury Choral Society presented a magnificent concert of choral music in the chapel at Stowe School - and were rewarded with a standing ovation from the packed audience.

The concert began with Benjamin Britten's Fanfare for St Edmundsbury performed by trumpeters in three corners of the chapel.

The music continued with John Rutter's Gloria, with the opening anthem nearly raising the roof.

The 70-strong professional Elmhirst Orchestra was, at times, a little too loud for the choir to be heard distinctly but this is a rousing work and one could not help but be carried along by the enjoyment and precision of both the 120-strong choir and the playing.

The solos were handled with elegant charm by sopranos Annabel Edwards and Audrey Cumming.

The first half ended with the premiere of work specially written for the occasion by composer Ian McCrae, who was present to hear his creation performed with skill by all, including bass soloist Jonathan Gunthorpe.

Ard Sealladh's first orchestral movement was played with emotion by the orchestra; this led to a lyrical and jaunty second choral movement which contained snippets from a Sussex folk tune, a hymn and a local folk air from Bicester. It ended on a a more melancholy theme, with a haunting melody movingly sung by Audrey Cumming and alto Emma Radwell.

The second half was devoted to Sir William Walton's tremendously exciting Belshazzar's Feast - melody, full of emotion and threat with superbly rhythmic singing carried along by orchestral fireworks and leading to a climactic 'good triumphs over evil' ending.

Jonathan Gunthorpe, tipped to be a major operatic and concert star of the future and already under the guidance of the Welsh National Opera, gave a flawless performance, building tensions to the famous 'mene, mene...' writing on the wall section to just the right pitch.

Alan Walsh

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