The dull and damp morning after a lovely concert in the church of St Corneille, Parisot. For the eleventh year running Ross and Ginny Jenkins had organised the twice yearly choral concert to raise funds for the restoration of the remarkable church. Of course a visit to Puycelsi is always worthwhile in itself, as the crowded car parks and cafes attested. But added to the spectacular position of the village was the concert, given by a scratch choir under the direction of Mark Opstad, director of the award winning Maitrise du Conservatoire of Toulouse.
The 30 or so chorists, drawn from amateur choirs of the region, plus four professional soloists and accompanied by the ever popular organist Nicholas O'Neill gave us a concert of unusual music. Neither Mark nor any of the singers had ever sung the Beethoven Mass in C and it was a testimony to their hard work and dedication that in just two days of rehearsal we were captivated from the first notes of the Kyrie to the last of the Agnus Dei. The four soloists combined beautifully through the Benedictus and the whole thing was a joy. Nicholas played a Bach Toccata and Fugue (but not the famous one) and filled the church with superb sound.
We got the impression that the choir was smaller than usual and perhaps the church less full than for a Mozart or Vivaldi concert, but this Hayden, Bach and Beethoven performance was an uplifting evening in these troubled times. Well done to all, and special thanks to Ross and Ginny. We are already looking forward to the spring concert.
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