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Home / History / Spring Concert 2000
Millennium Music Makers concert, 12th May 2000
All the pieces performed were by British composers and reflected the
best that our country can offer in the way of choral works.
The most modern pieces the Te Deum by John Rutter and the setting of Psalm 23 by Howard Goodall, were well known to the audience (particularly Psalm 23 as this is the theme tune of the Vicar of Dibley comedy television series) and they got each half of the programme off to a good start.
The Music Makers by Elgar (words by Alfred O'Shaugnessey), which was the main work of the evening, completing the first half, was an ambitious piece for the choir and generally, both the conductor and choir felt that things had gone quite well. A challenge all round but a pleasure to perform.
Alison Hudson was our soloist for this Millennium Music
Makers Concert. Her polish and professionalism shone through in the main work and during the
second half. We were pleased to welcome Alison back after her previous performance with us in
Handel's Messiah in 1994.
The second half included Blest Pair of Sirens by Parry, a setting of Milton's poem A Solemn Musick a more sedate piece which brought out the best in the choir with the four-part setting.
This All British Evening was rounded off with the ever popular "Proms Finale", which
included Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (Elgar), Fantasia on British Sea Songs
(Wood), Rule Brittania (Arne), Jerusalem (Parry), and finishing with God Save
the Queen.
The gusto with which the choruses of the finale were sung by the audience, soloist and
choir alike has made us realise that there is a lot of enthusiasm for classical and
particularly choral music, within our ranks and the local community. It was nice to be
urged to oblige with a number of encores, which seemed to be well appreciated. We hope that
we will continue well into the next Millennium enjoying our music making and being
encouraged by our increasing support - without them we could not continue
A final footnote to this concert. We were fortunate to receive a grant from the Millenium Festival Awards, which enabled to make a number of seats avaialable to local charitable groups, who swelled our audience. We would like to express our thanks for the award of this grant and hope that our new found friends are encourgaed to support us in the future.
Yorkshire-born Alison Hudson is an Honours Graduate of the Royal Northern School of
Music, where she studied with Barbara Robotham.
In 1990 Alison was awarded the coveted Decca Kathleen Ferrier Prize, resulting in a special concert performance of Liebesliederwalzer by Brahms, with the late Geoffrey Parsons, to honour Dame Janet Baker at the Royal Society of Arts. She has also gained international recognition in the Peter Pears Awards, the Belvedere Opera Competition in Vienna and in the Young Concert Artists Competition at Royal Tunbridge Wells.
Her operatic career includes performances with Glyndbourne Festival and Touring Opera (Beggar Woman in Death in Venice), Bradford Opera (Annio in La Clemenza di Tito), Travelling Opera (Mercedes in Carmen) and Scottish Opera (Page in Salome). In 1991 Alison made her international operatic debut as Cherubino in La Nozze di Figaro for Liepzig Opera with Lothar Zagrosek and the Gewandhaus Orchestra, with subsequent performances in 1992 and 1993.
A regular performer on the concert and recital platform, Alison made her London debut at the Barbican in Beethovan's Missa Solemnis with the English Chamber Orchestra. She has an extensive repertoire, ranging from the Handel Oratorios and the Bach Pasions to the works of Elgar and Tippett.
Recent performances include a live relay for the BBC Radio 3 of Messiah at Llangollen for International Voices for Hospices and she is currently appearing in her sixth season as guest soloist with the New Spa Orchestra in Scarborough.
It was for the Orpheus 50th Anniversary performance of Messiah in 1994 that Alsion first came to sing in Sittingbourne. She was warmly welcomed on her return in 2000, for the Millennium Music Makers concert.
January 2001
Paul Warren