WHAT: St Andrews Choir
WHERE: St Lukes Church
WHEN: Saturday April 21
On Saturday night the St Andrews Choir's confidence and versatility ensured that their concert was appealing and full of interest.
Good acoustics at St Lukes Church let the Epsom singers perform with clarity a well-chosen mixture of the sacred and secular music.
Their conductor Neil Shroff had trained the singers well. He gave attention to detail and style and got firm choral lines from them.
A notable feature of the choir was their freshness as they tackled the adventurous repertoire, showing plenty of vigour where needed.
Some of the choral works which stood out were songs by John Rutter and the Early Music works, such as those by Tallis and de Victoria.
Melodious settings by Martyn Heath and Neil Shroff of three devotional verses conveyed commitment.
Soprano Soojin Baek showed her ability and experience in four operatic arias, giving strong characterisation in each piece.
The radiant soprano voices of Emily Hamilton and Sarah Heslin were especially pleasing for two settings of Pie Jesu by Lloyd Webber and Malcolm Archer.
Satisfying too were the accomplished organ skills which Nicholas Sutcliffe brought to his solos and he, along with pianist Leonie Lawson, gave balanced accompaniments for the singers.
Shay Williamson also reveals what he plans to do with the $270,000 prize.
