Raymond Gubbay Christmas Festival: The Glory of Christmas Star rating: ** The Scottish Concert Orchestra, who were in fine form, were joined on Tuesday night by the Bearsden Choir and the Renfrewshire contingent of the National Youth Choir for a rousing gallop through seasonal and unseasonal stalwarts. Conductor John Pryce-Jones kept his foot to the floor as he raced through the numbers with a business-like urgency. And while an orchestra of such high-calibre professionals could clearly cope with any fluctuations in tempo, the choirs seemed less equipped to deal with such an event and had their work cut out to fit some of the wordier passages to the fast-receding melodies.
However, even if the finer technical details of performance weren't always on display, the choir sang with passion and commitment. Certainly not to be outdone, the youth choir sang with precision and expression and maintained a dignified concentration under the direction of their leader, Christine Badger.
The predominantly vocal focus was broken up by pleasing instrumental works. Trumpeter Mark O'Keefe played Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in D Major with little fuss and was a welcome addition to the ranks of the orchestra, especially during Bach's Christmas Oratorio, which opened the show. Scottish tenor Iain Paton, fresh off the plane from Florence, melted the hearts of the willing audience with his velvety voice, but perhaps could have been used to greater effect. Of course, Paton and the choirs were not the only ones in fine voice this evening; the concert-goers themselves were cajoled off their seats to participate in some carols.
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