A LINK up between Newbury Choral Society, the young members of the Berkshire Maestros choir and Newbury Senior String Orchestra produced a sterling performance of two well respected Britten works, a short piece by John Tavener and Elgar's Sospiri.

Britten's Ceremony of Carols was written as the composer was returning to the UK from North America by boat in 1942, a dangerous activity at that time with the Second World War in full swing and U-boat activity at its height.

Written for treble voices and harp, the music was conducted with sensitivity by Cathal Garvey, bringing into focus the gentle voices of the choir and soprano soloists, Rebecca Berkley and Kathryn Glover. Modal in flavour throughout, the music begins and ends with plainsong, the entire work enhanced by the chime-like interjections of Jenny Broome's delicate harp performance. 

The first half ended with a recital of Tavener's The Lamb by Cantati Bei, the senior youth choir at the Newbury Music Centre, closely followed by Sospiri by Edward Elgar, a pastoral piece played with warmth by the Newbury Senior String Orchestra.

The major work of the evening though was Britten's Saint Nicolas, a wide-ranging, dramatic cantata in nine scenes written in 1948. Utilising two large choirs, string orchestra, organ, piano, percussion and tenor soloist, this music needs a strong, sensitive, controlling hand to guide it along and this performance received it from Cathal Garvey who, in addition to pulling all the strands of the music and musicians together, rehearsed the audience to sing in unison with the choirs on two hymns.

Paul Austin Kelly in the role of St Nicolas was ideal as his wide vocal range and flexible approach produced some very fine tenor indeed. The choirs were in splendid voice throughout, guided and coaxed along by Garvey with support from Rebecca Berkley directing the young Cantati Bei singers.

This was essentially a very good group performance with excellent work from the choirs, the three vocal soloists, harpist Jenny Broome, organist Rosemary Evans, pianists Andrew Berkley and Jane Powell and percussionist Chris King.

One lasting image from this recital though, not easily forgotten, was of the three small boys, brought back to life by St Nicolas, walking down the aisle of the church singing Alleluia. The cantata ended with a build up of all the voices raised joyfully and underpinned by a low, sustained ostinato from the organ.