Musical Director: Edward Taylor

There was a good audience assembled at St. Andrews Church. Penrith, on the evening of Saturday 7th December, as silence fell, awaiting the magnificent opening of J S Bach's 'Christmas Oratorio '. With timpani and trumpets blazing and the choir entering in full voice, 'Christians be joyful', so Penrith Singers began their performance in fine style of a piece so suitable for the  Christmas season.

The piece is actually an assembly of six cantatas, shorter pieces, which Bach composed for Church worship over the Christmas period. Each cantata is made up of choruses; chorals- hymns of the period; and recitative, telling the story. Selections are made whenever the piece is performed as an Oratorio, and in this performance, four of the six cantatas were performed.

So, the tenor, Ian Honeyman, through recitative, narrated the Christmas story throughout the evening, acting as the storyteller. Indeed, acting is the appropriate word, as he moved about the stage, and, using his arms and hands, to help to express the story he was telling.

The first Cantata centred on the birth of Jesus, as the alto, Audrey McKirdy sang, 'Prepare thyself Zion'. There is so much variety in rhythm in Bach, and in this she sang expressing its lovely lilting melody. So the child is born and the Sopranos with bass, Paul im Thurn shared a reflective chorale, 'For us to earth he cometh  poor'. But then, Paul im Thurn, in full voice, with  Bach's strong, strident rhythm, with trumpets, sang, 'Lord and King all glorious'.

The accompaniment throughout the evening was made up of three trumpets, two flutes, and two oboes. We enjoyed, as always, the sensitive, assured playing of Ian Hare on the organ continuo, and the  utterly reliable continuo on 'cello of Daniel Crompton. With them, Sarah Davies played the obligato part on oboe in several of the solos.

We were with the shepherd's in the second Cantata when the angels appear as Rachel  Little (soprano) sang with  such clarity, 'Be not afraid, I bring you good tidings', and Audrey McKirdy, with oboe and flute in duet sang, 'Slumber beloved'. Then the Choir sing as the angels celebrate with, 'Glory to God in the highest,' singing  their hearts out, all parts interweaving in Bach's contrapuntal writing.

During the interval there was a presentation to Penrith Singers Deputy Conductor over many years, Heather Tomlinson. She is taking a well earned retirement but will continue singing with the Choir.

We are responding to the angel's message as the Choir begin the third Cantata, with the tenors singing valiantly (as so often in a four part choir, it is the tenors who are fewest in number) 'Hear King of Angels', as then the other voices entered. So it is that they sing of the shepherds hurrying to Bethlehem, again led by the tenors.

A highlight of the evening was, for me, the duet with Soprano and Bass soloists as they sang, 'Thy mercy, thy compassion, comforts us, and sets us free '. With that rhythmic lilt again, they sang, each responding to the other,  there was a joy about it.

The fourth Cantata focused on the arrival of the 'Wise Men', but beginning with the most demanding chorus, 'Lord, when our haughty foes assail us', with trumpets and  timpani again. A complex, contrapuntal piece, in which the Choir triumphed! The tenor, in his recitative, told us of the gifts of the Wise Men. But then the Choir sang a Choral, a prayer really, 'Accept me;' 'tis my mind and heart,  my soul, my strength, my every part, that thou from me requirest'.

A reprise of the opening Chorus, 'Christians be joyful', Sent us home rejoicing, having enjoyed an exceptional evening of music making in Penrith. With thanks to the Penrith Singers and to their Conductor, Edward Taylor, Assistant and Director of Consort at Carlisle Cathedral. He directed the evening's performance, in command of Choir, Soloists, and Instrumentalists, throughout, as masterfully as ever.