HOLIDAY music by Bach, Handel, Wilcocks and Jamaica’s own Dexter and Halliburton, reverberated off the walls of the centuries-old chapel at the University of the West Indies last Wednesday.

The event was the eagerly anticipated annual Evening with the University Singers, sponsored by the Bank of Jamaica.

Ever a popular holiday event, the chapel and the surrounding gardens were filled to capacity, as music lovers turned out to be treated to the high standard of music that this choir is known for, and they were not disappointed.

From the opening notes, through rising crescendos, tight harmonies and that fullbodied choral treatment from the ‘Singers’, the audience was fed a feast of holiday music fit for royalty.

The truth is, this group rarely, if ever, gives a bad performance. This must be credited to the individual strengths of the members, who add texture and tone to the choral offerings, while capable of delivering standout solo presentations.

This year’s solo standout must go to Althea Sinclair. A member of the ‘Singers’ for some time, she has definitely come into her own and truly deserved her moment in the spotlight. With two pieces on the programme, she impressed when she led the chorus with a Christmas medley which included, What Child Is This, Christmastide and Hallelujah Amen. However, her goose-pimple moment was to come in O Holy Night.

The popular carol, which has become a University Singers staple, saw Sinclair stepping into the realm of the former soloist with the group, Raymonde Rohan. Sinclair’s charm lies in the drama she brings to the presentation which is reminiscent of opera diva Jessye Norman, plus she has a great soprano voice to boot.

The outstanding solos continued with Carolyn Reid-Cameron’s rendition of Away in a Manger. Reid-Cameron, who has been with the University Singers since 1986, is no stranger to solos and has even burst into tears having been so overcome by her own performance. On Wednesday evening, she was in fine form, bringing a freshness to this old carol.

Other impressive performances came with Dominick Frazer’s Sleep Holy Child. His soothing barritone voice was complimented to great effect, by an all-male chorus. Monique Johnson on Gesu Bambino was a treat to listen to, but not visually engaging, unlike Sinclair. This ingenue will undoubtedly come into her own with more performances and solos.

Ding Dong Merrily on High was another of the evenings treats. The directors chose the perfect blend of ten voices, covering soprano, alto, tenor and bass, for a spirited rendition which earned the audience’s adoration as the voices raised Gloria in Excelsis.

The dimunitive Marcelle Thomas was not to be outdone as she was paired with the evenings guests — the St Hugh’s Preparatory School choir — on Manger & Straw. The innocence of young voices against the sounds of a polished alto, deserved the applause it received.

The audience, inside the Chapel, as well as those on the outside, were not left out of the proceedings. However, ahead of O Holy Night, conductor Franlkin Halliburton cautioned his audience against ‘overexuberance’ which he warned might throw off his soloist, but they were included in the singing of the chorus. The audience also had their moment with The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy. Halliburton had to ‘wheel up’ this song to note, “this carol cannot be sung, without movement”, and with that the entire chapel began to sway to the popular tune.

If there is one negative about this event, it is the fact that this calendar event has clearly, yet sadly, outgrown the beautiful University Chapel. As part of the thrust to revive downtown Kingston, and considering that the Bank of Jamaica, the evening’s sponsor, is headquartered in that section of the city, the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Kingston Parish Church or a refurbished Ward Theatre could be looked at as a future venue.