A group of students from the Nottingham Trent University, ranging from 19-22 years, charmed a packed audience at the theatre of the British Council on Wednesday, the 5th of April, 2017. The youngsters are pursuing different courses ranging from Architecture to Geography. Music is simply for the purpose of leisure. Apart from students, the choir comprises a few staff members. Enthusiasts from the community sing as well! This was the first time that the choir ventured out of Europe. They showcased a variety of genres. There was John Rutter’s Beauty of the Earth to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida.
They belted out beautiful numbers from Sweeny Todd’s The Demon Barber of Fleet Street musical, With you from the musical Ghost, Llusern, a Welsh song and Bob Chillkot’s Londonderry Air. The repertoire thrilled the audience.
The conductor, Matthew Hopkins, surely knew how to animate the pulse of the choir and the soloists (Grace Payne, Ella and Ela). Tom Bates, the pianist brought forth bright and mellow tones to go along with the voices.
For me, the highpoint of the evening was being introduced to the song Words by The Real Group from Sweden. The acappella skilfully intersperses talking and singing. Their heartfelt rendition of the Ground from Ola Gjeilo’s Sunrise Mass, added a component of calmness to the evening’s repertoire. The African American Spiritual, Battle of Jericho, which made them the winners of a choral competition in Wales, reflected their traditional preference. They bid adieu to us with Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World.
