REVIEW

AUTUMN CONCERT

St Mary’s Church. Dorchester

Dorchester Choral Society set their new season of music off to a magical start with a concert that brought the audience to its feet in appreciation of an evening of spectacular talent and beauty.

Under the direction of Colin Howard, the orchestra and singers took us from Elgar’s green and pleasant land to Borodin’s exotic Russian landscape and finally to the even more exotic venues and characters in Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky’s Wonderland.

The full orchestra performed Cockaigne’s Overture just as Elgar described it - honest and strong – giving the evening a grace and elegance that continued for the rest of the concert.

The opening melody of the Polovtsian Dances is famous for being sung as A Stranger in Paradise in the 1950s musical Kismet and Borodin’s genius was given strength and style in this performance by the singers who clearly enjoyed the vibrancy and energy of the score.

An unfortunate absence of the solo performer of Jabberwocky could have ruined an otherwise perfect evening but it was spectacularly saved by Stefan Oakes, a young member of the Choral Society who accepted the challenge and gave a remarkable rendition of the role which earned him a standing ovation.

Baritone Stefan made the best of his role as a soloist in the comic tale of the Walrus and the Carpenter which includes weird words such as brillig, fimble and mimsy, all performed by Stefan with confidence and humour, a remarkable achievement for the local young man.

On December 17, the choral society will be performing Handel’s Messiah in Dorchester, an event not to be missed by anyone who loves beautifully performed music.

MARION COX