The second Christmas concert given by Collegium Musicum in the magnificent Iglesia de Encarnacion in Marbella was devoted to works by composers from the America\u2019s, most of whose names were unknown to me. So the anticipation of hearing yuletide carols from a different culture, yet in the same language as my own, was heightened. I must say from the outset that the some 100 choristers and musicians rose to the challenge, surpassing yet again the previous perfection of their performance, with a special mention of soloist Christie, who\u2019s voice was like that of an angel!<\/p>\n
The evening opened with a fitting orchestral work,\u00a0 the first movement from Dvorak\u2019s 9th<\/sup>. Symphony\u00a0 \u2018From the new world,\u2019 which within the first few bars presented a problem for them in that they did not have a Timpanist! So C.M.s President, Delyth Bressington, besides being the musical arranger also became the Percussionist, both electronic and actual. \u00a0The many carols that followed who\u2019s origin were from both North and South America, included those by Leroy Anderson and Mark Hays and even a Calypso by Jill Gallina. Lastly a \u2018sing-along\u2019 of Leroy Anderson compilation of all the carols that we are familiar with.<\/p>\n It was truly a Joyous evening that under the baton of the irrepressible and ebullient Annemarie Philipps, has given the \u2018packed house\u2018 a wonderful evening\u2019s entertainment for which they showed their appreciation with abundance. All the members of both Choir and orchestra should be extremely Proud of their achievements.<\/p>\n Look out for their next concert on 26 May in Fuengirola and 28 May in Marbella.<\/p>\n