Kendal South Choir, St Thomas's Church

If you were not at Kendal South Choir's performance of Messiah, then be very sad, for you missed a deeply moving experience. Soloists Laurie Ashworth, Sarah Jillian Cox, Richard Pollock and Paul im Thurn sang with great feeling, bringing tears to many eyes. The choir truly excelled. Always responsive to Director of Music Ian Thompson, who conducted from the harpsichord, they ranged from very quiet and intense to joyful and triumphant. The awestruck whispering at the start of "For unto us a child is born" would not have woken the Babe, but then built to a raptuous "Wonderful, Counsellor, the Might God". Spine tingling. All voices blended beautifully, and were splendidly accompanied by the Lonsdale Baroque Ensemble, leader Julian Cann, and Ian Pattinson on the organ. The use of only woodwind for the Pastoral Symphony lent a suitably rustic feel to the shepherds. Stella FitzGerald sounded the trumpet.

This was an intensely moving performance, where every word could be heard and was sung beautifully and with conviction. It was like hearing the Messiah for the first time.

Moira Greenhalgh