A review of our recent concert at WestFest
The Concert, conducted by the Music Director of the Strathaven Choral Society, Mr Christopher Barr, opened with Elgar’s 1902 composition ‘Ave Verum Corpus’ Op 2 No 1, a short but enormously effective work. The sopranos rose as one to the occasion with a very beautiful rendition of the opening phrase of the motet, before being joined by the rest of the chorus. The closing words of the short work disappeared into near silence in the final bars. It was a very moving and refined opening to the concert.
As a late addition to the programme, our mezzo soprano soloist, Lynn Bellamy, then sang the delightful ‘Where Coral’s Lie’ from Elgar’s 1899 Sea Pictures song-cycle Op 37 No 4. This is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding gems of Elgar’s vocal works, and the soloist demonstrated a mastery of the vocal challenges presented in the composition. I had not heard the work since the late 1960s when I had access to the famous Janet Baker recording.
The rich sounds of Lynn Bellamy’s voice resonated magnificently through the fine acoustics of St Brides Church, and brought back wonderful musical memories for me. Her performance was greatly appreciated by the audience.
The first two works were accompanied on the piano by the excellent John Taylor. The strings of the orchestra then joined the stage and brought the first half of the concert to a close with a most spirited performance of Gustav Holst’s ‘St Paul’s Suite’ for strings composed in 1913.
The full orchestra joined the chorus after the interval in the main work of the concert, ‘The Music Makers’ Op 69 composed by Elgar in 1912. The choir rose brilliantly to the challenges presented in the difficult choral writings, with the soprano and tenor voices being stretched ever upwards to unaccustomed heights while the altos and basses reached down to resonant depths. The Music Makers provides ample opportunities for choral virtuosity to be demonstrated, and the chorus masterfully navigated the varying tempi and dynamics that make the work so effective. Soloist Lynn Bellamy sang the contralto solos with great assurance and her singing when in partnership with the chorus was truly beautiful. The final page of the score provides an opportunity for the choir to find their ppp voices, and they did not disappoint with the final dreams fading away to silence.
Conductor Christopher Barr demonstrated his musical talents to the full in his most skillful handling of the orchestral and choral forces gathered together in St Brides Church.
The concert was well attended and at the conclusion the audience rose to give the chorus, orchestra and conductor a rapturous standing ovation. The performance of three Elgar pieces in the same concert was clearly a programming formula that greatly appealed to the Glasgow audience on the 14th June 2026.
Strathaven Choral Society thanks The Elgar Society for financial support.
Prof. Howard Stevens
29 Jun 2026