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St. Edmund’s Church, Shipston, was filled to capacity for the concert given by Stour Singers with ‘Caliche’, the South American Folk Group on 8th December 2007.  The programme began with the ‘Misa Criolla’ written by the Argentinian composer Ariel Ramirez in 1963.  It was one of the first Roman Catholic Masses to be set in Spanish following the Vatican ruling to allow celebration of the Mass in the vernacular.  The ‘Kirie’ opened with gentle chords struck on solo mandolin, the choir humming beneath the tenor soloist, but in the ‘Gloria’ and ‘Credo’ the audience reacted to the unexpected energy of the rhythms and the singing.  The work ended with a quietly beautiful plea: ‘Danos la paz’ – ‘Give us peace’.

There followed a set of European carols from the choir, and traditional carols for audience accompanied by Rachel Bird at the piano.  The second half opened with five carols from the Andes which Caliche sang with zest (simultaneously playing charangos, guitars, mandolins, panpipes flutes, ocarinas and a host of Andean percussion) to audience acclaim.  Stour Singers maintained this mood joining Caliche in a lively performance in Spanish of Ramirez:Navidad Nuestra, a moving Folk Nativity composed as a companion piece to the Misa.  The evening came to a joyous close with Peruvian favourites, a standing ovation for Caliche and the choir – and suddenly it seemed like Christmas.

Stour Singers next concert - a performance of Mozart’s Requiem and Haydn’s Mariazeller Mass – will be on Saturday 10th May 2008 in St. Edmund’s Church.

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Last modified: January 02, 2008