Music lovers, friends and family of the young performers of the St. John’s Church Youth Choir who came with great expectations to Sunday’s Christmas programme, entitled ‘Joy to the World’, were not disappointed.

The chamber orchestra led by Jennifer Sheridan’s brilliant playing, the soloists, and not least, the young singers themselves gave excellent accounts of themselves. The audience too had their turn, singing lustily four well-known carols, beginning with ‘Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending’ and ending with ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, having knocked off ‘Hark The Herald Angels Sing’ and ‘Joy To The World’ in between.

Choir director Marjorie Pettit’s choices were, as usual, very thoughtful and included a wide range of music from Michael Praetorius to Leroy Anderson .

The evening began with a sextet of singers rendering a Praetorius round, in Latin, titled ‘Psalite’ (for “sing” I am most reliably told): ‘Come And See The Christ Child In The Manger’.

Its success depended on the singers’ ability to make their proper entries and maintain their independent lines, both of which they did enthusiastically.

Kerri-Lynne Dietz then made her first of two appearances, to sing from The Messiah, ‘Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion’. There was a Continuo of violin, cello and Mrs. Pettit herself on piano, to accompany the singer.

Ms Dietz has a beautiful voice and sang gracefully. Followers of this concert series will have had a chance to reflect on her progress, since her last appearance. Her voice seems more centred and richer. She goes from strength to strength.

Her other contribution was Michael Head’s ‘The Little Road to Bethlehem’, which again displayed good tone, diction and breath control.

Another soloist was young Jordan Robbins who sang ‘O Holy Night’. It has its challenges of range and length of line, which call for good breath control, and Jordan sang it well, confidently and melodiously.

A third soloist, Paige Hallett sang Bob Chilcott’s ‘The Time of Snow’, which was supported by a skeletal ensemble of flute piano and organ. She negotiated the extremes of vocal range well, while the music suggested a chilly atmosphere, all ending in unison, emblematic, perhaps of winter’s bleakness.

There were no less than 17 items by the chorus, including two by John Rutter. There was Althouse’s ‘Still, A Bach Christmas’ which entertainingly combines parts of JSB’s ‘Air on a G String’ with Humperdink’s ‘Still’, a lovely version of ‘Silent Night’, Chilcott’s ‘The time of Snow’ and ‘Sleigh Ride’, which the singers really ripped into.

I was half expecting Conrad Roach to provide the horse’s whinny with a good shake on the trumpet. I quickly got over this minor disappointment.

That was a feature of the whole concert, in fact — the way the young singers did their work with enthusiasm and skill.

The adaptation of the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ is a triumph of arranging, all parts surviving the absence of mature male singers. The programme notes credit Marjorie Pettit with “Orchestral Arrangements”. Therefore, kudos to her once again.

Santa appeared, to loud cheers, and did a sinuous shimmy to ‘Jingle Bells’ before handing out treats from a full basket. Bouquets were given the deserving musicians, (they were all deserving, let me be quick to say) and none got a cheer from the children louder than that reserved for their beloved director, Marjorie Pettit.

What a very pleasant evening was had by everyone in attendance.

The back cover of the programme carried the message ‘Peace On Earth’, to which one can only say ‘Amen’.