ALISON CROOSE St Nicholas' Chapel, King's Lynn

ALISON CROOSE

> St Nicholas' Chapel, King's Lynn

A celebratory concert full of wonderful music marked another milestone for the Festival Chorus.

It was not just the calibre of the performance which was so impressive but also that the singers clearly revelled in their involvement in this flourishing choir.

Their inspirational music director Michael Kibblewhite has built the chorus up to 140 voices - and declared that he has room for more.

The added strength in the male section raised the quality yet another notch in a programme full of variety and interest, from Russian Vespers and excerpts from Bach's Christmas Oratorio to John Gardner's contemporary Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day and Judith Bingham's The Clouded Heaven.

An audience of more than 600 packed the chapel - a wonderful setting for the occasion - and joined in popular carols which interspersed the choir's presentation of delightful settings of seasonal favourites such as Ding Dong Merrily on High and Jingle Bells.

From the spine-tingling candle-lit opening to the rousing We Wish You a Merry Christmas conclusion it was a joyous occasion.

No wonder the audience stood to salute the chorus and Julian Wilkins' masterly organ accompaniment.