Cantores Olicanae

Carols by Candlelight

All Saints Church, Ilkley

Saturday, December 21

The pure, unaccompanied voice of soprano Ana Beard Fernandez singing the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City opened Cantores Olicanae’s traditional concert of Christmas favourites conducted by Jonathan Brigg.

This popular event was given before a family audience of adults and children packed into the candlelit church.

Carols old and new made up the programme, whose centrepiece was Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. Composed in 1942, it is an enchanting compilation of carols in which Britten blends intricate vocal harmonies with the glittery textures of the harp, beautifully played on this occasion by Angelina Warburton.

Traditional carols included O Come All Ye Faithful, The Holly and the Ivy and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Of The Father’s Heart Begotten is a dirge and did not fit such an occasion as this; The First Noel is great fun for the audience to join in and would have been a more apt choice – programme selectors please note.

Personent Hodie (Sing Aloud on this Day) is always a delight, particularly when performed by Cantores with such vigour and obvious enjoyment.

Ashlands Primary School Choir’s appealing selection, sung with assurance under the direction of Keely Hodgson, included the lively Here We Come a-Wassailing and the lovely arrangement by Harold Darke of In the Bleak Midwinter.

Robert Sudall put the All Saints organ through its paces accompanying many of the carols. He pulled out all the stops for a festive arrangement for solo organ of the 1956 song Mary’s Boy Child. Cantores’ ebullient performances of Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas brought an enjoyable evening to a joyous conclusion.

Geoffrey Mogridge