Choir brings church some spring cheer

Farlington School recently brought a breath of spring cheer to a packed St. John’s Church, Broadbridge Heath on Saturday evening, 22nd March 2014.
By The Newsroom
Published 7th Apr 2014, 19:00 GMT
'Farlingtonic' at St. John's Church, Broadbridge Heath SUS-140104-140448001'Farlingtonic' at St. John's Church, Broadbridge Heath SUS-140104-140448001
'Farlingtonic' at St. John's Church, Broadbridge Heath SUS-140104-140448001

Farlingtonic – a 50-strong choir made up of parents, teachers and friends – showed their versatility and musical excellence in a programme with music ranging from the “Londonderry Air” to an uproarious ‘Name that Tune’.

In a different mood the talented pupils of Aristoskatz Choir brought a lump to the throat with their four-part renditions of Fauré’s “Cantique de Jean Racine” and an equally soulful “Killing Me Softly”. Two of the peripatetic teachers, Katriina Boosey and Matt Ellis, gave us stylishly virtuosic performances on recorder and trumpet respectively; and Katriina led the skilful Strood Consort in pieces by Charpentier and Kajanus.

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Musical variety was promoted by a wind quintet playing Mozart under Anne Stearns’ excellent direction; a tuneful string Rondo by Pleyel; and Ann Beresford, the vicar’s wife, duetting in Walton’s quirky Façade. All this came before a lovely Tchaikovsky dance with ballerinas and flautists and a show-stopping enactment of “Matchmaker”, previewing the school’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. The concert raised over £700 for charities in Horsham and Africa, and Farlington’s impressive musical soul shone through when the choirs and instrumentalists – led and inspired by Jane Thomas – raised the roof with a gloriously spirited performance of Vivaldi’s “Gloria”.

Report and picture contributed by David Thomas.