Advent by Candlelight
Sunday November 27th
AT 3.15 ON A GREY NOVEMBER afternoon people began to arrive at St Mary's
Church, eager to obtain a good seat for the annual village event, "Advent
by Candlelight" masterminded by Ian de Massini. This concert draws an
audience from all the nearby villages as well as from Cambridge - an excellent
indication of the quality of the performance. One can feel the anticipation of
an excellent and thought provoking entertainment, as well as a hushed reverence
for the surroundings.
The programme was a joy with Britten's cantata "St Nicholas" being the main theme enhanced by readings from Eric Crozier's text enlightening the audience before each musical item. Cambridge Voices' interpretation and choreography were stunning and the soloist, as St Nicolas, gave a commanding and dramatic performance from the pulpit.
Audience participation was emcouraged and we all enjoyed singing the first performance of the congregational "Hymn to St Nicklaus" specially translated into English verse by Ian for the concert.
After the second half in St Cyriac's, the congregation trooped down to St
Mary's for mulled wine and mince pies - a welcome warmth after the chill of
St Cyriac's.
Huge thanks must go to Ian de Massini for the enormous amount of time and energy he puts into creating a polished and highly professional concert, and also to Cambridge Voices for their effortless singing which we so enjoy listening to in our two lovely churches.
A heartfelt thank-you to all the readers organised so ably by Hilary Sage and to the team, of people who ensure the concert venues are set up properly as well as Kate Child and Francis Reeks who with their tem of volunteers give us all such a pleasant end to the proceedings.
All in all a very special and memorable afternoon is created, which heralds the Christmas Season with everyone gathered together in out two unique churches.
And more...
Advent Sunday 2005 was satisfyingly cold, compared with the globally warmed occasions of recent years, and Cambridge Voices and village voices served up a feast of music and words centred on Benjamin Britten's St Nicolas cantata. (Nitpickers, myself among them, might worry that St Nicholas's day is not until December 6th, but that is churlish because it does occur in the season of Advent.)
The format this year was slightly different, with the readers speaking the words which the choir then sang. For the sake of the audience this was a good thing, because we were fully armed to understand some of the more puzzling narrative - notably the sad events surrounding the pickling of three little boys, recalled to life by the Saint. Yes, you have read that correctly: mourned by their mothers they were laid down in salt like so many cucumbers. There was a certain ghastly tension in the audience at this point but we were moved forward into a lovely 13th century motet followed by the great hymn "All people that on earth do dwell" and then the traditional chilly walk through the churchyard into the stone vastness of St Cyriac's.
Special recipe mulled wine, and mince pies, followed later in the warmth of St Mary's church, and we went home humming. It was nevertheless a bitter-sweet evening. Anthony Tootal, for so long a leading member of the Cambridge Voices, died in the week before the concert and his absence was deeply felt.
And more still...
The Editors would like to put in a special word for the PIANO ACCOMPANIST, ORGANIST and ITALIAN CONCERTO PLAYER. The word is: BRILLIANTISSIMO!