Review
TITLE: Colne Valley Male Voice Choir
VENUE: Huddersfield Town Hall
REVIEW: William Marshall
ULTRA-Christmassy TV adverts for a certain well-known supermarket chain, featuring a certain celebrity chef, have ensured that the sight and sound of Colne Valley Male Voice Choir have become familiar to a viewing audience of millions.
An audience of hundreds took the opportunity to see and hear them in the flesh, when the choir hosted its annual Christmas concert at the Town Hall. And yes, they sang that plaintive melody – All Through The Night – which is the soundtrack to the commercial.
But this taste of TV stardom has not turned the heads of the Colne Valley MVC. No spangly suits or gimmicky presentation, for example. Just a group of soberly-dressed men singing with power, precision and excellent intonation, under the baton of Thom Meredith. The opener, On This Day Earth Shall Ring, was a powerful statement of intent.
The repertoire was almost entirely Christmas-related, of course, although one of the standout items was Beethoven’s Hallelujah Chorus from his Christ on the Mount of Olives oratorio. There were some gems among the smaller scale items – Alan Simmons’s Nowell for the Merrie City stood out, for example.
The male voice choir is supporting a highly commendable and exciting initiative, a singing group known as Colne Valley Boys. And the youngsters made their debut at this concert, with some nicely sung Christmas numbers. They joined the men on Pine Cones and Holly Berries, and one of their members, Matthew Wilson, stepped confidently to the front of the stage for a an excellent rendition of Walking in the Air.
Guest band was the Brighouse and Rastrick, current national champions and we could hear why. Their best solo piece was the most intense – Eric Ball’s brass band classic The Kingdom Triumphant, an exploration of some famous Advent hymns.
Organist Simon LindleyŠ – one of the region’s most noted musicians – acted as compere for the evening. Droll and deep-voiced, he was an amusing and authoritative host for a concert that filled the Town Hall.
