Grayshott Concerts
Youth Choir raises the roof and Grayshott Concert raises
the money!
In less than 12 months, St Luke's Church Grayshott has established itself as a centre of excellence for the performance of high quality music in the district. A recent audience thrilled to an electrifying performance by one of the most dazzling and dynamic choirs in the country. All the more surprising, perhaps, because the ages of the choristers range from just 14 to 19 years.
This group of young singers is the Hampshire County Youth Choir under their Director, Keith Clark. As guests of Grayshott Concerts, in association with Buy In Grayshott (BIG), they demonstrated their professionalism in a fast moving series of exhilarating works demanding significant technical ability and precision. From 16th century Lotti's beautiful and heart-rending 'Crucifixus', in eight parts, to Carter's clever arrangement of 'The Teddy Bears' Picnic', the choir gave a fresh impetus to every piece. Their enthusiasm and concentration shone from all 28 faces in a stunning display of musicianship, with all eyes on their conductor, who held the choir's total attention throughout.
Singing mostly unaccompanied, and with no hint of deviating from key, the choir which included their newest recruit of only five weeks, performed with confidence and freshness through a highly challenging programme to achieve standards many professional choirs can only aspire to.
Other pieces which especially impressed the delighted audience, included the traditional 'My Lord, what a morning' (arr. Wild), 'Geographical Fugue' by Toch, and Hammerstein's famous football anthem 'You'll never walk alone'. Their uplifting and varied selection of music appealed to all tastes and left the audience demanding encores. At the end, the choir left the stage, one by one, singing 'Stand by me'.
To complement the programme, the young classical guitarist, Tom McLauchlan, performed a series of short pieces, demonstrating his considerable skills combining manual dexterity with sensitivity. He held the 270 strong audience transfixed with the intricacy and sheer brilliance of his performance. Clearly a growing talent to watch out for in the future, he enthralled the audience with a versatile and expressive display of exuberance in complex pieces from Alonso Mudarra (1510) to Nikita Koshkin (b. 1956).
The Concert, organised by Peter and Vivien Harrison, not only attracted a capacity audience to St Luke's, but also succeeded in raising over £5,000 for youth projects in Grayshott. Mr Harrison confirmed that much of the money raised will fund the final stage of the Grayshott Skate Park due to be completed in early November. The remainder will help other youth organisations in the village. "It has taken over nine years to collect all the funds needed", said Mr Harrison. "It's wonderful that the generosity of Grayshott's residents and businesses has enabled the last target to be reached."
Grayshott Concerts already have plans to present Mozart's Clarinet Concerto at their next event in April 2006. More information from Vivien Harrison (01428 607755)
In less than 12 months, St Luke's Church Grayshott has established itself as a centre of excellence for the performance of high quality music in the district. A recent audience thrilled to an electrifying performance by one of the most dazzling and dynamic choirs in the country. All the more surprising, perhaps, because the ages of the choristers range from just 14 to 19 years.
This group of young singers is the Hampshire County Youth Choir under their Director, Keith Clark. As guests of Grayshott Concerts, in association with Buy In Grayshott (BIG), they demonstrated their professionalism in a fast moving series of exhilarating works demanding significant technical ability and precision. From 16th century Lotti's beautiful and heart-rending 'Crucifixus', in eight parts, to Carter's clever arrangement of 'The Teddy Bears' Picnic', the choir gave a fresh impetus to every piece. Their enthusiasm and concentration shone from all 28 faces in a stunning display of musicianship, with all eyes on their conductor, who held the choir's total attention throughout.
Singing mostly unaccompanied, and with no hint of deviating from key, the choir which included their newest recruit of only five weeks, performed with confidence and freshness through a highly challenging programme to achieve standards many professional choirs can only aspire to.
Other pieces which especially impressed the delighted audience, included the traditional 'My Lord, what a morning' (arr. Wild), 'Geographical Fugue' by Toch, and Hammerstein's famous football anthem 'You'll never walk alone'. Their uplifting and varied selection of music appealed to all tastes and left the audience demanding encores. At the end, the choir left the stage, one by one, singing 'Stand by me'.
To complement the programme, the young classical guitarist, Tom McLauchlan, performed a series of short pieces, demonstrating his considerable skills combining manual dexterity with sensitivity. He held the 270 strong audience transfixed with the intricacy and sheer brilliance of his performance. Clearly a growing talent to watch out for in the future, he enthralled the audience with a versatile and expressive display of exuberance in complex pieces from Alonso Mudarra (1510) to Nikita Koshkin (b. 1956).
The Concert, organised by Peter and Vivien Harrison, not only attracted a capacity audience to St Luke's, but also succeeded in raising over £5,000 for youth projects in Grayshott. Mr Harrison confirmed that much of the money raised will fund the final stage of the Grayshott Skate Park due to be completed in early November. The remainder will help other youth organisations in the village. "It has taken over nine years to collect all the funds needed", said Mr Harrison. "It's wonderful that the generosity of Grayshott's residents and businesses has enabled the last target to be reached."
Grayshott Concerts already have plans to present Mozart's Clarinet Concerto at their next event in April 2006. More information from Vivien Harrison (01428 607755)