Review :: A fabulous journey down memory lane

From The West Australian - TODAY
by Neville Cohn
19/05/10

CONCERT
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New I Voci Singers at the Best of British
Perth Concert Hall on 17th May 2010
Review: Neville Cohn
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I have lost count of the number of Best of British concerts I've attended over the years but this, the 19th in the series, was in a class of its own.

Now into his ninth decade, the tireless John Christmass has done it again. As ever, it's a trip down nostalgia lane modelled on London's celebrated Last Night of the Proms.

With the ebullient David Hawkes as compere, and conductor Jessica Gethin presiding over Perth Pops Orchestra with aplomb, we heard one sentimental favourite after another, including A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square and The Lord is my Shepherd.

Tenor Justin Freind brought assured artistry and faultless diction to that G&S evergreen A Wandering Minstrel. Another Best of British stalwart Mark Alderson, clad in bright shades of green, sang Phil the Fluter's Ball as if it had been written for him - and threw in a few dance steps for good measure.

Here, and frequently through the program Sammy McSweeney brought finesse to his piano accompaniments. And Vaughan Williams' much loved English Folk Song Suite was frequently interrupted by gales of appreciative applause. Earlier, I Voci gave a quite magical account of Rutter's Fiddler Man, with the sort of finesse that makes it the fine ensemble it is.

Lavish laurels in particular to Adrian Bowen, who produced a stream of finely pitched, mellow tone in an exquisitely phrased account of the Romance from Ronald Binge's Saxophone Concerto.

And there was an hilarious interlude when everybody in the capacity audience stood to do the Hokey Pokey, taking their cues from Alderson and Josephine Christmass on stage.

A profusion of fine soloists included Sophie Walker (cello), Pavel Sergeyev (violin) in the Romance from Shostakivich's Gadfly Suite, Alexandra Bak (soprano), piper David Murray (in The Gael) and Adrian Kelly, who got the second half of the program off to a fine start with Jeremiah Clarke's much loved Trumpet Voluntary. As ever, Andrew Gardner was an impeccable presence at the concert hall organ.