By Michael Reckord, ContributorTHE JAMAICA College Chapel Choir ended its four-parish, 2003 concert season on Sunday with a well-received performance at Saxthorpe Methodist Church, St Andrew.
Led by its conductor, Randall Campbell, the 30-strong boys' choir had previously sung in Port Antonio (December 14), Clarke's Town (December 21) and Montego Bay (December 28).
Expressing satisfaction with the season, Campbell told The Gleaner that highlights included a particularly-well appreciated show in Port Antonio which featured Rev. Grace Jarvis as a guest soloist and a four day training camp in St James.
The conductor, who has been with the choir for 22 years and has been taking it on tours outside the Corporate Area for five years, said that the past season has seen the most performances in the period.
Josef Haydn's 10-minute-long praise hymn, Te Deum, was the featured work in this season's repertoire, which included other hymns, anthems, carols and a spiritual. Soprano Carole Reid, accompanied by Ann McNamee on piano, was the soloist at Sunday's show. Other accompanists were Paul Bicknell (piano) and Livingston Burnett (organ).
In Part 1 of the programme, the choir (which comprises members ranging from First Form to JC Old Boys), sang Vaughan-Williams' Old 100th Psalm, Mozart's Ave Verum, Charles Parry's Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, Charles Wood's O Thou The Central Orb and the main work, Haydn's Te Deum in C. Although the first four items were well-sung, with the boys showing off good diction and fine control of both the material and their voices, the tone of the items was uniformly sombre.
The feeling of monotony which started to creep in was dispelled by the Te Deum. A joyful, melodic, deliciously complex piece, it was given an energetic reading by the conductor who, judging by his arm and body movements, was clearly enjoying himself.
His pleasure communicated itself not only to the audience but, more importantly, to the singers. As a result, the boys, who tend to be poker-faced, became quite animated. They deserved the audience's prolonged applause as the hymn and the first-half ended.
The longer second half consisted of 11 songs and, happily, contained a greater variety of moods and styles. Reid's bell-like voice was a pleasure to listen to in her solo, Rejoice Greatly (from Handel's Messiah), and her singing was enhanced by the backing by the choir in many people's favourite carol, O Holy Night.
