Lunchtime concert: St Mary in the Baum

These delightful concerts take place against the magnificent backdrop of Sir Ninian Comper’s beautiful church and are organised by TOLPAC: Toad Lane Performing Arts Centre.

This week’s concert featured local soprano Anne Butterworth and baritone Peter Walker. Judith Mitchell provided her usual skilled and supportive piano accompaniment.

The diverse programme contained pieces by Zeller, Handel, Gilbert and Sullivan, Mozart, Flanders and Swann and even a local Lancashire folk song amongst several others.

The performance commenced with the cautionary tale ‘Don’t be Cross’, a light Viennese piece by Zeller, pleasingly delivered by Mrs Butterworth.

This was followed by Peter Walker’s rendition of ‘Sea Fever’; John Masefield’s epic poem set to music by John Ireland. Although I love the poem, I am not so keen on the musical version. It was however very competently delivered by Peter who gave it the slightly over-ponderous gravitas required of the piece.

Mrs Butterworth went on to deliver the more testing ‘Laschia ch’io Piango’ from ‘Ronaldo’ by Handel which she managed with passion and aplomb.

Lewis and Mantovani’s ‘Cara Mia’ was sung next by Mr Walker who reminded the audience that the English crooner David Whitfield had popularised this in the 1950’s.
Mrs Butterworth returned to the stage for German’s ‘O Peaceful England’ from his opera ‘Merrie England’. She has been invited to sing this with the Middleton Musical Society next week in Portsmouth to celebrate HMS Middleton’s return from active service in the Gulf.

I do enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan and ‘When Britain Really Ruled the Waves’ from ‘Iolanthe’ is particularly delightful. Mr Walker’s delivery is all that you would wish and the audience felt this also. Supporting vocals were provided by Mrs Butterworth.
For her customary solo, Mrs Mitchell provided the strangely mournful yet haunting Scottish melody ‘Farewell to Stromness’ in which her own love of the Scottish islands added an additional poignancy.

By way of a complete contrast, Rogers and Hammerstein’s ‘South Pacific’ provided the next stop on Mr Walker’s impromptu trip around the world with the wistful ‘This Was Nearly Mine’ confidently performed and pleasingly delivered.

After performances of ‘The Little Piecer’; a Lancashire folk song and ‘The Kindly Voice of Mother Nature’ by Mozart in which Mrs Butterworth and Mr Walker joined in a skilful duet in which their very different voices combined to give a very professional rendition,
This was followed by ‘Flanders and Swann’s ’I’m a Gnu’. Peter Walker loves this pair of musical and comedic geniuses and his powerful baritone and relaxed acting talents immediately connect him to his audience who cannot resist mouthing the libretto. He has done several of these pieces now and I look forward to more. How about ‘The Gas Man Commeth’ for a further musical treat Peter?

Mrs Butterworth went on to give us a real musical delight. ‘Chacun le Sait’ from Donizetti’s ‘Daughter of the Regiment’ is a testing piece and I wondered at first if it was a wise choice for a lunchtime concert. However, Mrs Butterworth’s performance was as confident as it was competent and as passionate as it was professional. For me, it definitely deserved the Olympic Gold of this musical tournament and really showcased Mrs Butterworth’s vocal range and tested her mettle. (Passed with flying colours.)
Peter returned to the stage to continue his trip with ‘The Road to Mandalay’; Oley Speak’s version of Kipling’s famous poem which, in days gone by, was often delivered as a ‘party-piece’ in parlours throughout the country.

The concert closed with Seymour Smith’s ‘The Spider and the Fly’; duetted by our musical host and hostess. All three performers received very warm and appreciative applause.

These delightful concerts really are worthy of support and at £3 a go are great value for money. Further details can be obtained by TOLPAC’s musical director Dr Joe Dawson on 01706 648872.