Music / “Christmas Classics”, Luminescence Chamber Singers and Children’s Choir. At Wesley Uniting Church, Forrest, December 15. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

IT was a time-travelling evening of Christmas music from medieval carols to classic Yuletide songs and traditional Nativity hymns.

Directed by Roland Peelman, the combined forces of Luminescence Chamber Singers and guest artists, the Luminescence Children’s Choir, organist, Samuel Giddy and Valdas Cameron on percussion made this a memorable evening of familiar and not-so-well-known Christmas music.

The concert began dramatically with the Chamber Singers as they entered singing down the aisle of the church, led by Roland Peelman and Valdas Cameron on drums, while Samuel Giddy provided deep resonant tones on the organ. In the gallery above and behind the audience, the Children’s Choir added their voices, producing a sound that galvanised the audience immediately.

They had begun with a 14^th century anonymous Spanish song, “Stella Splendens”. It was followed by another song from the same era “Qui creavit celum – Song of the Nuns of Chester”, a quietly haunting work beautifully sung, and “Eya Jhesus Hodie” with a 15^th century text and music composed in the musical idioms of the 14^th century by David Yardley in 2020. Another rousing 14^th century song followed, the Bavarian “Verbum Patris humanatur”. It was given a fine performance by the choirs.

The large program of songs included a 16^th century work by William Byrd, “Lulla Lullaby”, an arrangement by Ruth McCall of two melodies for “Away in a Manger”, “In the Bleak Midwinter” by Harold Darke from 1911 and “Gabriella’s Song” by Stefan Nilsson from 2004, amongst others.

Samuel Giddy’s organ performance of “Swiss Carol” by Louis-Claude Daquin from the 18^th century was one of the highlights of the concert.

Other highlights included “The Song of the Birds”, a traditional Catalan song arranged by Roland Peelman, which was hauntingly sung, and the uplifting “Gabriella’s Song” was sung with great feeling by soprano, Rachel Mink.

The concert concluded with the classic carols, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night”. The audience was invited to sing with the choirs and the result was an intense feeling of community as the huge sound filled the church, bringing this often spectacular and enjoyable evening of Christmas music to a close.

There is a reprise of “Christmas Classics” on December 17.