THE choir of St Mary Magdalene Church in Launceston recently performed a concert of great British music to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, the Queen’s 90th birthday and British composers.

The concert began with Vaughan Williams’ arrangement of the Old 100th hymn followed by his anthem O taste and see, featuring soprano soloist Amber Newton, followed by the men singing his baritone solo The call.

Accompanist John Timbury showed what the organ could do with Flourish for an occasion, by William Harris, before the choir went back in time to sing John Amner’s Come, let’s rejoice, followed by Tomkins’s My shepherd is the living Lord, featuring soloists Sharron Wormald, alto, and Bernard Pink, tenor.

Henry Purcell provided the last two items in the first half, the sopranos and altos singing Sound the trumpet, then the verse anthem Rejoice in the Lord always, with Kate Hancock, alto, Bernard Pink and Andy Dunning, bass, singing the solo parts.

After the interval a minute’s silence was observed for the victims of the Nice terrorist attack followed by William Walton’s Holy week anthem Drop, slow tears.

Robin Stubbs, choirmaster and organist at St Mary’s, then took to the organ to play two pieces by Walton, first three excerpts from the incidental music to the film of Richard 111 starring Laurence Olivier and then his wellknown march Crown Imperial.

The choir finished the Walton section with a confident first performance of his Set me as a seal.

The concert concluded with Parry’s anthem My soul! There is a country followed by O clap your hands by Vaughan Williams.

The appreciative audience was treated to an encore of the popular sixties hit A whiter shade of pale, featuring the tenor section on lead vocals and the bass section as bass guitar.

The retiring collection made £260 for the church’s new heating appeal. The St Ives parish choir will be singing a concert at St Mary’s on August 7, at 6.30pm, after a joint choral evensong at 5pm, when it is hoped that further funds can be raised for an expensive, but essential, project.