The Winkleigh Singers
TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Winkleigh Parish Church 15th December 2007
Victoria Davies - own website, opens in new window
Born in Perth, Western Australia, he studied Music at the University of Western Australia and Performance on the pipe organ at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music. He then went to London where he taught music and conducted and accompanied various choirs, including the Malcolm Sargent Festival Choir performing in St. Peter’s, Rome; Notre Dame, Paris and cathedrals around England and Ireland. He moved to Taunton in 2000 and recently completed a Masters in English Cathedral Music at Exeter University. He now teaches music and is College Organist at Wellington School.
(December 2009)
Now 23 years old, the Winkleigh Singers under their director Roland Smith, gave their annual Christmas Concert in Winkleigh Church on the 15th December. The first half consisted of traditional carols, sung enthusiastically by the congregation, interspersed with carols for the choir from several centuries. Of particular interest were Sweelinck's 'Hodie Christus natus est', written some 400 years ago and full of energetic and quite jazzy sounding rhythms, and Anton Bruckner's 19th century 'Virga Jesse floruit', with strange but very effective harmonies.
After an interval for refreshments, the Winkleigh Singers gave a moving performance of what must be the best Christmas work written by a British composer in the last century. Benjamin Britten's 'A Ceremony of Carols' was written in 1942 and its twelve sections cover a wide range emotions, which are expressed in music which requires a performance of verve, precision and delicacy. I have heard many performances of this work, including some conducted by Britten himself, and these amateur singers succeeded in getting over every nuance of the score and in giving the work a showing of which any professional choir would be proud.
Arthur Littlewood, North Devon Journal