The King's Men, St George`s Church, Kendal

FOR those of us who love singing, the next best option is to listen and watch young experts in action, writes MARGARET PATTINSON.

In St George`s Church, The King's Men from Cambridge (eight young scholars, some of whom would soon be moving on to the world of work) provided us with a superb concert.

Impeccable diction, intonation, superb all round vocal technique and very professional team work (all will have had experience singing with others for most of their lives), gave us exquisite ensemble singing in so many different styles, and an evening to remember. How do they make it look so easy?

We were treated to 21 vocal pieces ranging from Tudor England up to the present day, in groups of sacred and secular pieces. They were all very different in styles and the programme skilfully selected so there was something for every listener. The second half of the concert featured many clever arrangements of familiar titles. Each piece was humorously introduced by a different singer and their obvious enjoyment shone through the whole concert. The two hours of music went so quickly and the King's Men justifiably received a standing ovation during the long applause.

The vocal pieces were interspersed with two organ interludes. The organist for this, Zak Spencer had been 'borrowed' from a different college. He was very excited to be asked to play the wonderful organ at St George's, and obviously enjoyed the privilege. He played JS Bach's St Anne Fugue and a light hearted jazzy piece entitled Mozart Changes.

A fantastic team, led by Jan Dudeck, managed to put on a concert of this calibre in the space of three weeks. Their diligence was well earned as the church was full.

We look forward to The King's Men coming again and another time it would be wonderful to see more of the talented young singers and musicians we have in the Kendal area, in the audience.