The Tring Christmas Season can be said to open with the Christmas Festival organised by Tring Together, which takes over the whole town centre at the end of November. This year’s was a success as usual despite a burst of cold, heavy rain.
But between then and Christmas itself, choirs, schools and drama groups are busy rehearsing for their various seasonal offerings. And principal amongst these is of course the Tring Choral Society.
This year they performed Messiah by Handel in the Parish Church of St Peter and Paul on 19 December. Together with their four visiting soloists the Tring Choral Society sang superbly. Always of a high standard, on this particular evening they were truly inspired. From the clarity of their diction, the accuracy of their timing, the perfection of pitch and tone to their general enthusiasm and animation they delivered an experience of magnificence and delight.
Tring audiences are far from being culturally naïve, they are experienced and sophisticated, but after the performances compliments could be heard across the nave of the church – “I’ve got an expensive recording at home which wasn’t as good as that”, “You couldn’t get better in an international venue like London” to the simpler but heartfelt “Well – something really got into them tonight!”
Tring Choral Society really excelled themselves – a credit to their own talent and dedication but also to their leader, conductor, director and mentor, Colin Stevens.
The choir was well accompanied as usual by the Chiltern Orchestral Society, well accustomed to supporting them as one well co-ordinated team. Their Leader is Janet Hicks.
The four soloists were Ruth Prevost (soprano), Eleanor Minney (contralto), Ruairi Bowen (Tenor) and Quentin Hayes (bass).