Philharmonic Christmas
CHRISTOPHER CORMACK
This year, Hastings Philharmonic has given us three options for Christmas celebrations with their quality music. The first Advent Concert took place on 6 December, and celebrated 20th Century British music at its best, with pieces by Benjamin Britten (Celebration of Carols) and Vaughan Williams (Mass in G).
Britten’s carols hark back to the 1950s Christmases when tangerines and nuts were usual as stocking fillers, but the music sparkled none the less. Conceived originally during wartime in 1942, the work was rearranged for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass (SATB) and single harp and/or piano in 1955 by Julius Harrison, well-known in Hastings as Music Director of the Hastings Municipal Orchestra (1930-1940).
One of the HPO’s guest singers for the evening was a member of the Croydon Singers in the 1980s, when their recording on the Hyperion label (CDA66076) of the Vaughan Williams Mass in G was highly acclaimed. The performance also featured a wonderful contribution from Welsh harpist Emily Harris, with our own Francis Rayner on organ. The soloists made the Vaughan Williams a particular delight, and we expect to see much more of them in the coming year. They were: Jessica Edorn, soprano; Alex Pullinger, alto; John Twitchen, tenor; Edwin Hughes, bass. Also featured was HPO’s own soprano, Helen May da Silva.
In addition to 20th century British classics, HPO has not shied away from the challenges of the best of 20th century American and Norwegian composers, namely Eric Whitacre, Morten Lauridsen and the quirky Daniel Pinkham.
There was a ‘Carols for All’ event at Christ Church on 13 December where some traditional, well recognised Christmas songs were interspersed with lesser known, but beautiful carols sung by Marcio Da Silva. We expect more of the same excellence with an HPO Christmas Gala. Orchestral favourites will include Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Tickets are still available, if you hurry!
HPO Christmas Gala is at 7pm on Saturday 20 December at Christ Church St Leonards hastingsphilharmonic.com/20th-december-25
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