Posted on the 17th of August, 2022

After a Covid enforced break of over two years, Bungay Choral Society, assisted by friends and the combined choir of Ellingham and Woodton primary schools, returned to St. Mary’s church for an outstanding entertainment of widely varying music.

The concert opened with Requiem for the Living, by Dan Forrest, the first major work of a young American composer whose repertoire is sung world-wide. The powerful impact of this modern take on traditional music was enhanced by solos from Brenda Crockford and Jamie Cave.

In complete contrast, the combined choirs of Ellingham and Woodton primary schools gave renderings of songs from The Lion King and The Sound of Music, the first performance of which had earned them high praise at the Norfolk County Music Festival. Their crisp delivery and perfect timing, plus obvious enjoyment of singing, delighted the large appreciative audience.

This same audience had the pleasure of participating in the music during an extract from John Rutter’s Feel the Spirit, when the well known chorus of When the Saints Go Marching In, was sung by the choir. The added flourishes, as printed in the programme, gave the listeners a chance to augment the performance by becoming singers at specified times.

Before the final item on the programme, the Musical Director, Jason Collins, announced this would be his last concert with the Bungay Choral Society and thanked them, the accompanist and organist John Witchell, and all the children for their support for this concert, and over the years.

He concluded by saying that the final item on the programme, John Rutter’s The Lord Bless You and Keep You, was dedicated to all the Covid sufferers who were no longer with us. This proved to be a very moving end to an exceptionally entertaining concert.