WHAT better place could one be on a chilly April Sunday evening than being warmed with the inspirational music of Verdi and Rossini at our very own Anvil?

I could easily run-out of superlatives in this review: the adjectives brilliant, wonderful, and fantastic come immediately to mind. I simply must heap unstinted praise on both choirs, Basingstoke Choral Society and the Croydon Philharmonic, the four soloists, and, of course, The New London Sinfonia under the leadership of its conductor, David Gibson.

The evening got under way with the brief and exciting William Tell Overture by Rossini. It is said that the mark of a dedicated music-lover is if he or she can listen to the final part of this work without thinking of The Lone Ranger, as some of a certain age surely did!

An eminent conductor friend of mine told me many years ago this overture should play for twelve minutes. “Longer than that”, he said, “is a sure sign of dawdle on the rostrum, but it must never be less!”

I therefore timed maestro Gibson, who was twelve minutes to the second!
We have seen and heard the combined efforts of both of these choirs on previous occasions. They meld perfectly as though one unit.

They look impressive, but more importantly they sound impressive.  It is hard to believe we were not listening to full-time professionals.

The New London Sinfonia (leader Anna Harpham) are also regular visitors to the Anvil. They always impress this critic, but have never sounded better than for this concert. 

I was really impressed with the warmth and solidity of the strings sections. The cellos in particular were truly sublime. The brass, solid and secure with no 'fluffs' at all.

Erica Eloff (solo soprano) and Ashley Riches (bass solo) are known to frequent Anvil attendees.

Heather Shipp (mezzo) was new to me; her rich, penetrating midrange reminded me so much of the great Cecelia Bartoli. 

James Edwards (tenor) an ex-member of the Jette Parker Young Artists' Programme at London's Royal Opera House, sang lyrically with much confidence, but there were two occasions when, sadly, his voice was lost in the wall of orchestral sound behind him.

Marks for the soloists? A confident ten out of ten. Both the Stabat Mater and the Te Deum place astonishing demands on both soloists and choir.

So, a superb, esoteric programme of devotional music which was brilliant, wonderful and fantastic!

Peter West