East of England Singers | Christmas In New York

St Leonard's Community Centre
13 December 2008
By Peter Palmer

Christmas musical gems from abroad are becoming a speciality of the East of England Singers. This year they crossed the Atlantic in search of fresh choral treasure, complemented by seasonal images from New York.

Their Wollaton concert opened with a Huron carol by St Jean de Brebeuf and sacred pieces from the 19th century. America and Britain then joined hands in Samuel Barber's setting of Laurie Lee's Twelfth Night. ,/p>

The two countries combined again in John Rutter's treatment of I Wonder as I Wonder and Bob Chilcott's arrangement of a traditional Shaker melody. There were also vivid renditions of Wasn't That a Mighty Day and a Louisiana gospel song, Poor Li'l Jesus.

Directed by Angela Kay, the ethereal harmony of Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium (1994) was beautifully projected. And the singers had a ball in their exuberant final medley.