Concert Review – 3 May 2025

Lymington Choral Society Concert

What better way to spend a bank holiday Saturday night than with a night of thrilling music? Lymington Choral Society have a reputation for delivering exciting performances and this certainly did not disappoint.

Haydn’s Nelson Mass (made up of several contrasting movements) saw choir and orchestra joined by four young solo singers; Isabelle Atkinson, Maria Willis, Daniel Bell, and Thomas Isherwood. These promising soloists seemed to have an serene quality of lyricism, and musicality. Blending perfectly with the orchestra and choir (under the expert baton of Phil Daish-Handy), their voices filled the entire church, delighting the audience before the interval.

Post drinks, we had a gentle rendition of Faure’s Cantique de Jean Racine. Here the choir were accompanied by piano only and credit must go to Timothy Rice for his sensitive accompaniment on the church’s steinway piano. French words are difficult to articulate but the choir coped admirably with the subtleties of this deceptively tricky work, always singing with warmth.

Following the Faure, we had two pieces from the 1950s film ‘Ben Hur’, Love Theme and Rowing music. Conductor Phil Daish-Handy’s enthusiasm for this music was evident and the orchestra delivered a powerful performance capturing the ‘golden age of Hollywood’.

The finale of the night was Borodin’s Choral Dance from his opera ‘Prince Igor’. Here, maestro Daish-Handy was in his element, balancing choir and orchestra superbly. The climax of the piece raised the roof and provided a fitting end to a joyous evening.

HW