Alton Choral Society performed Music for an Autumn Afternoon at the Church of St Lawrence in Alton on October 29.

It was in aid of Alton food bank and the audience enjoyed a varied programme of choral and solo music. The choir was conducted by Wendy Busby and accompanied by Jane Palmer and Patrick Busby.

The concert opened with the choir singing a very moving performance of the Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei and Hymn Before Action from The Armed Man – a mass for peace by Karl Jenkins.

This was a very appropriate suite of music to perform at this time of conflict in Ukraine and many other regions around the world. Jane accompanied the choir with great skill on the piano.

This was followed by a beautiful performance of Franz Schubert’s Ständchen sung by Alison Crow accompanied by Jane.

The first half concluded with a rousing performance by the choir of John Ireland’s Greater Love hath no Man accompanied sympathetically by Jane on the organ.

During the interval Ian Dane gave a very informative talk about Alton Foodbank and the valuable work they do in supplying emergency food and support to people in crisis. Thanks to some generous donations we were able to send over £300 towards the essential work the food bank does for those in greatest need.

The second half opened with the choir skilfully performing two traditional atmospheric pieces: O Waly Waly and Golden Slumbers, arranged by John Rutter. This was then followed by Alison’s entertaining performance of Frank Loesser’s Adelaide’s Lament from Guys and Dolls accompanied by Jane.

Patrick Busby then accompanied Stuart Nash, David Sheraton and Wendy Busby in excellent performances of Verdi’s La Donna è Mobile, and Mozart’s Se Vuol Ballare and Deh Vieni Non Tardar – both from The Marriage Of Figaro.

To mark the 150th anniversary of Alexander Scriabin’s birth Patrick played his Virtuoso opus 8 solo piano study number 12 in D# Minor.

The concert concluded with the choir singing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika by Enoch Sontonga, arranged by Emyr Rhys.

Our next concert will be The Wonder of Christmas in the Alton Maltings Centre at 7pm on Saturday, December 10 in aid of Home-Start. We will be joined by the excellent Alton Concert Band and the Ancora female voice choir for what promises to be a great and lively musical start to the Christmas period.

The choir rehearses at the Salvation Army Hall in Alton on Wednesdays from 7.45pm. For details email the secretary at [email protected]