The Evening Concert

Contributed by Chris and Lynn Lemar

To round off a magnificent day of pageantry, local choir, Excelsis, treated us to a splendid concert of Music for Coronation Day. St Christopher’s resounded with the trumpets of the South Downs Camerata as the familiar strains of Zadok the Priest burst forth and Parry’s ‘I was Glad’. The main work in the first half was Bach’s Magnificat. The choir were joined by a group of very accomplished young soloists all of whom had started their musical life as choristers under the guidance of Robert Lewis, Excelsis’ Music Director. The second half also featured a setting of the Magnificat, this time a world premier by our own Director of Music, Clive Osgood. He had followed a similar format to that used by Bach, using the same musical forces, both instrumental and choral. Excelsis and the orchestra performed it brilliantly, clearly enjoying the wonderful melodies and rhythms that Clive had woven into his composition. In no way was Clive’s Magnificat over-shadowed by Bach’s. Finally, we were all invited to join in singing Jerusalem and the National Anthem - a great way to conclude such a momentous day.