This year's Christmas concert, held once again in Wakefield Cathedral, was performed by three of Wakefield's premier ensembles to a large and appreciative audience. Over the last year, many Wakefield groups have been moving from strength to strength and this was evident particularly in the three that performed on this occasion.
Opening the concert were the Manygates Big Band, fresh from their recent performance in the Schools' Prom at the Royal Albert Hall. Directed by Roger Scorah, they entertained the audience with tight performances in a range of styles from the Basie pastiche "Easy Street" to modern funk and rock. One of the strengths of this ensemble is the depth of talent throughout the band and the performance featured soloists from every section.
Having the ability and confidence to perform as a soloist in such a venue and in front of so many people is no mean achievement for young musicians and this was also strongly evident in the next group to perform, Wakefield Youth Choir. With members ranging between 10 and 18 years old, the choir are led by Geraldine Gaunt and Phil Needham. Again, a number of soloists were featured and highlights included the hauntingly beautiful "Mad World" and the popular and affirming carol "Come With Me".
Following the interval, Wakefield Youth Symphony Orchestra took to the stage in front of the Youth Choir and the groups joined forces to perform John Rutter's "Distant Land". With its scoring for full orchestra, four part choir and soloist (ably sung by Zoe Dunphy), Rutter's celebration of freedom is a rich and moving piece which was sensitively performed and well received by the audience. The choir then left the stage, leaving the rest of the concert in the hands of WYSO, directed by Lee Benstead. The orchestra commenced with excerpts from Tchaikowsky's ballet, Swan Lake and concluded with a rousing suite of music from Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera". As always on these occasions, the talent and dedication of all the young musicians taking part was clear to see and the audience clearly enjoyed and appreciated the evening's varied and rich performances.
