Music

RSNO Christmas Concert                                                 

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Michael Tumelty

Five Stars

I’VE known Christopher Bell for many years, in his various roles as Edinburgh Festival Chorus director, creator of the National Youth Choir of Scotland, and director of the RSNO’s Junior Chorus; and I have seen him fulfil his commitments in all of these roles, and more, with a skill and energetic drive beyond measurement. But I swear to the wee star at the top of the Christmas tree that I have seen nothing like the unstoppable stream of charismatic blether Bell unleashed in Glasgow on Saturday afternoon in his annual Christmas Concert with the RSNO and its Junior Chorus in one of the best of such shows I have devoured with delight over the span.

And there were a few cosmetic changes that gave the event extra sparkle, not least when Bell, instead of issuing his annual call for the grown-ups to get their keys out and augment the percussion accompaniment to Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride, called instead for a flashing display of lit-up mobile phones. Suddenly the packed auditorium was ablaze with over 1000 fully-charged twinkling lights. It was magical.

And so too was the music, with Malcolm Arnold’s The Holly and the Ivy an unusual introduction and Daniel Portman’s rather earthbound narration of Howard Blake’s The Snowman buoyed by the unstoppable eruption of Walking in the Air, sung for the first time by the glorious RSNO Juniors in a fully-harmonised, flawlessly-executed version. It really suits the setting. And among the regular, fun-filled fare was a captivating beauty in Paul Mealor’s I Pray, whose performance stopped a heart or two and released a tear; a lovely afternoon.

ends