In the beautiful spring sunshine, a large audience was present in All Saints’ Church to watch Oakham School Chamber Choir perform. First in the programme was Northern Lights by Ola Gjelio which reflects on both the mesmerising and terrifying experience of seeing the aurora borealis. This acapella performance by Oakham School Chamber Choir was evocative and captivating. The bass section of the choir had a beautiful richness of tone contrasted with the soaring pure sound of the sopranos. The icy moments of dissonance were balanced with perfection. In the closing moments, I found myself totally transported to a different landscape.
Britten’s ‘Rejoice in the Lamb’ provided a huge contrast, this vividly characterised, eccentric and slightly erratic piece was full of surprises. Lucy, Pien, Sid and Owen each gave excellent solos, often dueting with typically Brittenesque quirky and virtuosic organ writing played by Harry Jacques. The repetition of the ecstatic Hallelujah at the end brought a satisfying sense of completion and closure in an otherwise unpredictable journey, beautifully phrased and characterised by this talented group of young singers. Bravo!
