Where did you go? What did you say/do? When did you go?
Having travelled quite far for most of the previous concerts I have reviewed, I decided to go to a local classical music Christmas concert as it was being directed by Ian de Massini on Wednesday 18th December 2019. I know Ian from various performances as well as having had the opportunity to shadow him at work previously, so I take an active interest in his career. This was the last concert I attended before the Covid 19 pandemic hit the world globally.
What did you think was good and why?
Cambridge Voices did not charge the public for the tickets to this concert but instead asked for voluntary donations towards the venue - Emmanuel United Reformed Church. I felt that this was a great way to get people involved and to listen to music who may not normally, whilst allowing people to leave a donation of their choice.
What happened at the arts event?
Cambridge Voices is the choir that Ian founded and they sang 10 songs on this occasion, 2 of which were composed by Ian himself. There was a Latin piece, a German piece and a modern English piece in the programme. I was very impressed by the wide range of repertoire and I hope to develop mine to such an extent by joining a choir myself.
After the performance, I was invited to a bring and share lunch gathering of the choir which was very pleasant and a brilliant end to a musical day
Was there anything about the arts event you didn’t like? Why?
For people like me coming into Cambridge from outside the city, parking is difficult and expensive. However, as I was attending on my own, my parents dropped me off at the Church and did not stop. However, this issue is not exclusive to this venue but common to the centre of the city of Cambridge
How did these experiences influence your own arts practice and/or plans and how much you develop your arts practice in the future?
In fact following that concert I have been so inspired that I researched choirs in the area and have applied to Pembroke College Girls’ Choir.
Hi there
Thanks for your positive comment. Yes I saw the Classic Buskers at the Cambridge Junction a few years ago, they were great!