Resounding return to West Wickham

12 March 2024: The choir’s concert on March 9 was at St Francis, West Wickham, always a welcoming venue and memorable for the choir’s affecting WW1 centenary concert there in November 2018.  

CMVC at St Francis (all photos Richard Pometsey/Fields of Growth Photography)

Among a varied repertoire, CMVC repeated two of the pieces from 2018, both in the first half.  The first was African Prayer, previously sung in tribute to the sacrifices of African nations in WW1.  The second was  Dona Nobis Pacem, "Give Us Peace", the round which concluded the 2018 concert.  This time the choir performed its three-way split at the end of the first half, choir MD Matthew Quinn conducting with his usual aplomb.

Mattt conducts with aplomb

Nine choir members were deprived of any resting time during the first half.  They were the Sandilands Shanty Crew who sang four pieces between the choir’s first two sets, and were rewarded with spirited applause. 

No rest for the Shanty Boys

The second half opened with the choir’s first outing of the fully-French version of the Edith Piaf number Je ne Regrette Rien, winning acclaim for the purity of its French accents.  Then came a solo spot from choir accompanist Sam Prouse who played Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, utilising the excellent tonal variations available on the St Francis organ.

Barrie Bingee in moderato mood

The concert ended with a rousing performance of the very right-on Carly Simon number Let the River Run, followed by a magnificent rendition of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

Following resounding applause, St Francis vicar Heather O’Sullivan said the audience had been blessed with a wonderful musical evening.  The choir thereupon retired to the nearby Railway pub, offering further spiritual nourishment to an impressively young audience who responded with further rapturous acclaim.

CMVC was fortunate to have the attendance of professional photographer Richard Pometsey of Fields of Growth Photography.  Richard, a pal of bass newbie Martyn Lewis, took a wonderful set of photographs, four of which illustrate this report.