Billed as ’25 years of singing excellence’, Farnham Youth Choirs exceeded all expectations at their near-sellout 25th Birthday Concert at the Anvil, Basingstoke.
The first half of the programme represented all the established virtues of any FYC choir, those of clarity of diction, sparkle and the ability to get ‘under the skin’ of any musical style – from 16th century motets to brand new commissions to traditional folksongs from around the world – and communicate directly with the audience.
Following an opening set from FYC, which included a magical performance of the atmospheric Rain Dream by Australian composer, Joseph Twiss, the young Training Choir of 7-9 year olds delighted us with Leslie Woodgate’s The Watchmaker’s Shop. The continuing contrast of styles was maintained by the Junior Girls’ Choir, with a sensitive performance of How beautiful are the Feet, from Handel’s Messiah and the Junior Boys’ Choir’s showstopper, A la cart by Judith Watson, a fun piece based on a Mozart tune which showed that we had some budding thespians in our midst!
The half finished with another FYC trademark, including performances of recent commissions by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and ex-FYC member, Graham Ross and world premières of two songs – Harold Arlen’s Over the Rainbow and Richard Rogers’ Where or when - arranged especially for the concert by Gwyn Arch, who later conducted FYC in another of his arrangements, The Rose by Amanda McBroom.
And then the party started! In the second half, which included many established choir favourites such as The Rhythm of Life, The way we were, Elgar’s The Snow and Michael Neaum’s setting of The Water of Tyne - which won FYC First Prize in Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year back in 1992 - FYC was joined by an alumni choir of former members including several founder members from 25 years ago.
If anything showed the extraordinary impact which David Victor-Smith and FYC has had on our local young singers over many years it was the keenness of more than 20 per cent of the choir’s past membership to come back and take part in the concert and perform with such skill and style - and on just one day’s rehearsal!
Predictably perhaps, Handel’s Zadok the Priest raised the roof and, after all the choirs joined in for John Rutter’s Look at the world - that’s more than 200 singers plus an excellent orchestra, including many more FYC alumni – the audience finally got our chance to shine with Parry’s Jerusalem, with a new descant composed by, yes you guessed, David Victor-Smith.
At the end of the concert, David received that rare, yet fully-deserved, accolade of a standing ovation from all the 1,000-strong Anvil audience, who had just witnessed the results of 25 years of his outstanding skill, dynamism and commitment to excellence which has so enthused the many generations of young people who have been members of FYC.
In thanking all those who had helped make the concert possible, FYC chairman, Graham Noakes announced that the Choir had just received an important boost as the result of a three-year agreement with new associate sponsor, Farnham-based chartered accountants, Wise & Co. “At a time when many voluntary organisations are struggling to balance the books, this magnificent support from Wise & Co will help us maintain and build on the high standards and extraordinary achievements already achieved,” he said
FYC dedicated the performance to Chris Mansell, who had sadly passed way on the morning of the concert, somehow fitting timing for someone who as the previous chairman for 16 years had done so much to help build FYC into the world-class choral organisation it undoubtedly has become.
After the concert, David commented that, “Chris would have been delighted.” And so were all of us privileged to be there.
Following an opening set from FYC, which included a magical performance of the atmospheric Rain Dream by Australian composer, Joseph Twiss, the young Training Choir of 7-9 year olds delighted us with Leslie Woodgate’s The Watchmaker’s Shop. The continuing contrast of styles was maintained by the Junior Girls’ Choir, with a sensitive performance of How beautiful are the Feet, from Handel’s Messiah and the Junior Boys’ Choir’s showstopper, A la cart by Judith Watson, a fun piece based on a Mozart tune which showed that we had some budding thespians in our midst!
The half finished with another FYC trademark, including performances of recent commissions by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies and ex-FYC member, Graham Ross and world premières of two songs – Harold Arlen’s Over the Rainbow and Richard Rogers’ Where or when - arranged especially for the concert by Gwyn Arch, who later conducted FYC in another of his arrangements, The Rose by Amanda McBroom.
And then the party started! In the second half, which included many established choir favourites such as The Rhythm of Life, The way we were, Elgar’s The Snow and Michael Neaum’s setting of The Water of Tyne - which won FYC First Prize in Sainsbury’s Choir of the Year back in 1992 - FYC was joined by an alumni choir of former members including several founder members from 25 years ago.
If anything showed the extraordinary impact which David Victor-Smith and FYC has had on our local young singers over many years it was the keenness of more than 20 per cent of the choir’s past membership to come back and take part in the concert and perform with such skill and style - and on just one day’s rehearsal!
Predictably perhaps, Handel’s Zadok the Priest raised the roof and, after all the choirs joined in for John Rutter’s Look at the world - that’s more than 200 singers plus an excellent orchestra, including many more FYC alumni – the audience finally got our chance to shine with Parry’s Jerusalem, with a new descant composed by, yes you guessed, David Victor-Smith.
At the end of the concert, David received that rare, yet fully-deserved, accolade of a standing ovation from all the 1,000-strong Anvil audience, who had just witnessed the results of 25 years of his outstanding skill, dynamism and commitment to excellence which has so enthused the many generations of young people who have been members of FYC.
In thanking all those who had helped make the concert possible, FYC chairman, Graham Noakes announced that the Choir had just received an important boost as the result of a three-year agreement with new associate sponsor, Farnham-based chartered accountants, Wise & Co. “At a time when many voluntary organisations are struggling to balance the books, this magnificent support from Wise & Co will help us maintain and build on the high standards and extraordinary achievements already achieved,” he said
FYC dedicated the performance to Chris Mansell, who had sadly passed way on the morning of the concert, somehow fitting timing for someone who as the previous chairman for 16 years had done so much to help build FYC into the world-class choral organisation it undoubtedly has become.
After the concert, David commented that, “Chris would have been delighted.” And so were all of us privileged to be there.
Farnham Youth Choirs shine at Birthday Concert