THE Saint Boniface Concert society’s 2019 season began with a sparkling performance of Handel’s “Let the bright seraphim” by the Gioisca Trio with Héloïse West (soprano), David Davies (organ) and Claude Lamon (Baroque trumpet).

The first half of the programme was dedicated to the Baroque.

Handel was further represented by the overture to “Radamisto” in the French courtly style played on the organ and one his German arias “Süße Stille” – a calm, flowing piece successfully using a trumpet obbligato.

There followed the jubilant third movement of Torelli’s concerto in D (trumpet and organ) and a profoundly moving aria from the Bach Magnificat with echoes of the final chorus of the St Matthew Passion. This section was rounded off by two short pieces by Allessandro Scarlatti.

After the soloists had caught their breath in a brief pause the audience were taken into the 20th century by David Davies on the organ with a strangely disturbing work “Molto Ostinato” by Petr Eben, a Czech who survived a concentration camp. This difficult piece with its inexorable, throbbing and driven opening passages haunted by a plangent melancholia moving onward to hopeful, loftier tones gave the soloist a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the fine resources of the Holy Cross Harrison and Harrison organ.

By way of contrast Héloïse West moved up into the pulpit to sing a thoughtful and gentle “Prayer for peace” by Poulenc, then something very special took place: the first performance of “Clarion” for trumpet and organ by Brian Chapple, a leading modern composer residential in Devon and who was present in the audience. This piece, which progressed from a stirring opening to calmer reflection, was very well received and will surely and deservedly be heard again.

Further contrast followed with a very English pastoral setting of Walter de la Mare’s “King David” by Herbert Howells, before crossing the pond for Gershwin’s “Summertime” on a suitably sunny afternoon.

Finally, the Flanders and Swann parody “Ill Wind” of a Mozart horn concerto brought the afternoon to a very cheerful end.

There are further musical treats to come in the Saint Boniface concert society season: on Sunday, June 16 there will be an additional concert in association with the Saint Boniface Concert Society “Devon Baroque: Vibrant Violas” featuring works by J.S. Bach, Shmelzer and Bertali, and on Sunday, June 23 at 3pm the New Oxford Consort, a top new vocal sextet of former choral scholars, will sing works varying from Tudor to Jazz, including Palestrina, Tallis, Lobo and Stanford culminating with a serving of afternoon tea. Both these concerts are part of Credfest 2019.

Penny Little