Caldicot Male Voice Choir performed their first concert of a very busy Autumn period, on the last Saturday night of September, 2012. Deep within the rural serenity of Gloucestershire and encompassed within a patchwork quilt of emerald fields, is the Roman market town of Cirencester (Corinium).
The Choir had been invited to sing in the honey coloured ‘crown’ of the Cotswolds by the Soroptimist International of Cirencester and District. The concert had been organised in order to raise funding for The Cotswold Care Hospice and the Sue Ryder-Leckhampton Court Hospice.
In golden, late afternoon sunshine the Choir arrived at the imposing and elegant Bingham Hall. The audience was delighted as an evening of eclectic entertainment commenced with an overture of classical guitar work, exemplified by the nascent talent of the youthful Corinium Players Ensemble.
The main course of the night was served up by Caldicot Male Voice Choir and the sweet soprano support of Claire Lees. The Choir was arranged on an tiered platform, against the backdrop of a ruby red curtain and framed by a set of conjoined twin neoclassical alabaster pillars. The cavernous hall was lavishly decorated in rococo style. In the firmament of the vaulted ceiling was a trio of colossal chandeliers, each one cloaked in glass beading, affecting the impression of three upturned mushrooms in shimmering suspension, high over the assembly.
The prodigious attendance ensured a bountiful return for the appointed charities and the Choir delivered a varied programme of power and precision, in showcasing much of the work from its extensive portfolio.
There was a premiere performance of ‘He’, a pop music chart hit from 1955 written by Jack Richards and a liberal sprinkling of ever popular Welsh hymn tune classics.
The evening was concluded in Welsh with rousing renditions of O Gymru (Rhys Jones) and the national anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, which was wildly cheered by the Cirencester audience.