No masks, screens or other barriers, Kintbury Choir come out under stress from lockdown

Opus2: Spring Choral Concert on Saturday 26th February at St Mary’s Church, Kintbury. Comment by GRAHAM NESS

Focusing on themes of Spring and Rebirth, Kintbury-based Opus2 Chamber Choir opened their season with a concert at St Mary’s Church, Kintbury. Like many other choirs, Opus2 celebrated coming out of recent pandemic-induced lockdowns, to finally be able to perform in front of audiences again without masks, screens or other barriers.

Performing a range of music from 16th century Thomas Tallis to contemporary pieces by Rutter, Stopford, Esenvalds and Hagenberg, Opus2 performed confidently under the musical direction of Chris Lambert and accompanied by Susan Norman – who also made contributions instrumental by means of two organ and piano duets. The first of these duets was Fantasy by American composer Clifford Demarest, while the second was Satyagraha’s Act 3 Conclusion by Philip Glass, well known as an American minimalist composer.

The concert ended with Why We Sing by American composer Greg Gilpin; a ballad that surely captures the choirs’ celebratory feeling as they emerge from the past two years of pandemic-induced lockdown – “as if it needed a vindication to offer – and share – such pleasure!” said Jenny Veasey, Certified Lay Minister for Walbury Beacon Benefit.