ALTON Choral Society’s concert ‘Music for Good Friday’ attracted an appreciative audience who donated £538.30 to Leukaemia Care in the retiring collection.

The charity was chosen in memory of Ruth Biddiss, who died earlier this year and was chairman of the choral society.

The concert, which was performed at Alton Methodist Church, opened with Fauré’s popular Cantique de Jean Racine and closed with Bob Chilcott’s lilting setting of Be Thou my Vision.

And the variety of musical styles was epitomised by the contrast between David Hall’s ethereal Wash Me Throughly and Thomas Tallis’ Why Fumth in Fight (third tune) which brought to mind a dour puritan army on the march.

The solo items also presented a variety of styles, ranging from Wendy Busby’s accomplished Vivaldi and Bach renditions (Nulla in Mondo Pax Sincera, I Follow With Gladness) through James Willis’ mellow lieder by Franz Schubert (Du Bist die Ruh) and Carl Bohm (Still Wie Die Nacht) to Nancy Buck’s simple but emotive singing of the spirituals Jesus Walked This Lonesome Valley and Crucifixion.

Patrick Busby showed what an accomplished pianist he is in his accompaniment of both his wife and James Willis, while Jane Palmer expertly accompanied the choir on the organ and provided a delicate, responsive piano accompaniment to the spirituals.

The choir members were in good voice, entering into the mood of the various anthems with enthusiasm.

It was a pleasure to see (and hear) an amateur mixed voice choir with such a strong male voice contingent.