Welcome to Ware Choral Society, singing since 1902

Ware Choral Summer Concert July 18th 2026

Review by Kathleen Lord, Chair of Hoddesdon Music Club

On Saturday evening a large audience in Ware Drill Hall was treated to an evening of baroque music given by the Orpheus Sinfonia and Ware Choral Society under the direction of their conductor, Rosie Howarth. The choir’s rehearsal accompanist, Barbara Manning, provided organ continuo throughout.

The concert began with a rousing and very confident performance of Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’ – clearly well known by many of the singers.

The Orpheus Sinfonia played the ever-popular Pachelbel ‘Canon’ but it was also good to hear the less-well known ‘Gigue’. I wonder what Johann Pachelbel would make of the fact that his Canon is so well-known and so much-used some 300 years after its composition!

‘Welcome to all the Pleasures’ by Purcell involved the splendid soloists along with short interjections by the chorus, often with tricky entries and changes of rhythm which were mostly managed very well. It was a pleasure to hear this unfamiliar work with the chorus’s praise to Cecilia, the patron saint of music, gradually fading away very effectively to a quiet ending.

After the interval we were treated to a concert performance of Purcell’s only true opera ‘Dido and Aeneas’ which is based on Book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid.  Apart from Dido’s Lament, again most of this was unfamiliar music. The five soloists dominated with very strong portrayals of the various characters in exuberant operatic style. Their diction and delivery were wonderful, especially that of the tenor Philip Clieve and the mezzo Melissa Gregory, a very scary sorceress. The soloists’ voices blended well with many sections where they interacted effectively adding to the story-telling. The conductor, Rosie Howarth, even had a singing role herself!

The chorus had short sections to sing to support the narrative, taking on roles as courtiers, witches and sailors. This mostly worked well apart from a few minor tuning issues but it would have been helpful to have had the choir’s words printed in the programme. The chorus brought the work to its conclusion following Miriam Sharrad’s powerful rendition of Dido’s famous aria so often heard at funerals and every year on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph.

Throughout the evening Rosie Howarth commanded the combined forces with calm confidence and energy – and lots of smiles. Everyone concerned should be justly proud of a fine evening of music-making bringing the chorus’s 124^th season to an end.

Christmas Concert at the Drill Hall, Saturday December 5th 7:30pm

Britten: A Ceremony Of Carols
Elgar: The Snow,   Chilcott: Midwinter
Quartel: A Winter Day,  Wallen: Peace On Earth

and, of course, carols for audience participation.