Colin Cockshaw
St. Edburg’s Church, Bicester
The Phoenix Singers and Trinity Camerata, together with four young professional soloists and conducted by Justin Lavender, presented a rich and varied programme to an audience of about 300 people in St Edburg’s on April 29th. Audience and performers filled the body of the church and all were animated in expectation of what was to come. We were not disappointed.
Trinity Camerata began the concert with a sparkling rendition of Bach’s well-known Brandenburg Concerto No 4. The four soloists then treated the audience to songs by Vaughn Williams and William Walton followed by orchestra, choir and soloists producing a poignant performance of Vaughn Williams ‘Serenade to Music’.
After the interval, the highlight of the evening was a magnificent performance of Mozart’s Requiem. This was a performance which fully tested the quality of the acoustics in the church so that, at times, the building seemed to resonate with sound and the audience was thrilled by it, responding with prolonged applause at the end. A memorable evening and a great testimony to the church as a setting for musical occasions.
The Phoenix Singers 