‘It’s so extraordinary to see such a lot of very young children singing such difficult music!’ This was the most frequently heard comment as visitors to St Barnabas mingled with regular church members in the Narthex after the choir’s concert on 17 November in aid of Connect – the Communication Disability Charity. The observation goes to the heart of what we do in the choir every Friday and Sunday – it is indeed very rare for a completely unauditioned choir of man and women, boys and girls, with no training choir or probationer system, and including children as young as six, to sing together at all, let alone to tackle such a varied and challenging programme.

The concert was devised as a means of supporting the work of Connect, which is based in Blackfriars but has been extending the scope of its activities southwards. The charity aims to assist people suffering from aphasia – difficulties with communication, usually experienced as a result of suffering a stroke – and their families and carers, by helping them to find strategies for coping with their situation, and by offering understanding and companionship.

Torrential rain during the afternoon caused real problems with transport, with flooding on the South Circular and long delays to trains, but all the choir members made it in time for the start of the concert and audience numbers did not seem to be too badly affected by the weather; it was wonderful to see so many unfamiliar faces, many of them clients, friends and staff of Connect. Connect staff were responsible for the box office and stewarding, under the expert direction of Jenny Salmon, and the refreshments after the concert were organised by Mary and Jim Rennison assisted by members of the Youth Group; the event was a real collaborative effort, which created a very special atmosphere.

The centrepiece of our programme was the world premiere of A Dream, by Howard Skempton, commissioned on behalf of the choir by one of our members, Vanessa Mitchell. Travelling from Leamington in Warwickshire, the composer only just made it in time to hear it, but pronounced himself ‘delighted’ with our performance of his deceptively tricky piece.

For many people the musical highlight of the concert was Charles Wood’s O Thou Sweetest Source of Gladness, a perfect marriage of words and music which has become a real favourite with us. Harry Bramma, former director of the Royal School of Church Music, said that this was one of the best performances of the piece he had ever heard. He was also very pleased with our delivery of his own lovely communion motet I will go unto the altar of God. But for many of us the triumph the evening was John Casken’s fiendishly hard A Song of Chimes. Learning it in time for the bell dedication followed by this concert was a real challenge, as the membership of the choir has changed so much since we first performed it ten years ago, but adults and children alike rose to the challenge magnificently.

 The concert concluded with a stirring performance of Parry’s Blest Pair of Sirens, another wonderful pairing of richly melodic music and a text that sums up the purpose of our choir and gave us the title for the concert: In tune with heaven. It was fitting that the post-concert thanks and tributes included presentations of teapots, specially painted on this theme by Margaret Brothwood, to William McVicker, who as usual directed it so ably, and Riccardo Bonci, who accompanied the choir and played his organ solos with such panache.

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