Barnes Music Festival Chorus and the Music Makers of London

Another concert in the Barnes Music Festival, and an equally good one.

Again the emphasis was on works by modern English composers, although there was one piece by Henry Purcell - Thou Knowest Lord.

The first half of the programme featured the Music Makers of London singing pieces by Peter Warlock, Gustav Holst and Edward Elgar - all completely new to me, which was rather nice.   I don't like hearing the same old things all the time.  

The second half of the programme featured the Barnes Music Festival Chorus, singing a variety of pieces, including three by David Bednall which had been especially commissioned for the Festival - Rhythm - Beat and Pause, Eternal God, who sets the way and The Day Thou Gavest.  

Of course, the adults all sang beautifully, but to my mind the stars of the evening were the children from St. Mary's School, who sang Ralph Vaughan Williams' The Call and Simon Lindley's Ave Maria.   Looking very formal and professional, there was nothing of the Spice Girls about them - my complaint about the sort of singing they seemed to learn at Sacred Heart - instead their voices were clear and sweet, like good children's choirs should sound.   They mostly seemed to know the pieces by heart, but it was obvious how well trained they were by the way they kept looking all the time at the conductor, especially the six year old tot in the front row, who never took here eyes off him.   It's nice to see some schools taking music seriously, and teaching children how to sing properly.