Waverley Singers

Coronation concert was crowning glory for Waverley Singers

On Saturday 27 June the Waverley Singers gave a concert of coronation music in St Lawrence Church, Alton.  After a week of scorching hot weather, the church was a sanctuary, and the music a tonic.  I normally sing in the choir but on this occasion had the luxury of being in the audience and could appreciate the professionalism the choir has attained under the baton of its music director for 17 years, Richard Pearce.

The Singers were joined by world-renowned organist Philip Scriven, a regular at their concerts, and by four superb young soloists, all students at The Guildhall School of Music, where Richard teaches and coaches.   Beth Stirling – soprano, Niamh Kearney – mezzo-soprano, Max Robbins – tenor and Will Jowett – bass, all had beautifully blended voices, although they told me afterwards that this was the first time they had performed together on stage. They said they had really enjoyed singing with the choir, and felt in safe hands under Richard’s leadership.

The opening rousing piece was William Boyce’s The King Shall Rejoice, an anthem composed for the Coronation of King Goerge III and Queen Charlotte in 1761.  As in other works in the concert, this was originally composed for choir and full baroque orchestra, so the organist had a lot of notes to play!  The singers filled the church with sound, and the sopranos confidently tackled some very high notes.  

The second work was the Coronation Sanctus by Roxanna Panufnik, commissioned for the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This beautiful piece only lasts 2 minutes but is for 8 parts with a couple of glissandi – sliding smoothly between two different notes – thrown in, and I know how nervous the choir initially felt learning it. They pulled it off incredibly well; the effect was mesmerising; the audience loved it. 

Philip then treated us to Walton’s Crown Imperial on the organ – fantastic!  The first half culminated in Handel’s My Heart is Inditing, composed as a Coronation Anthem for King George II in 1727.  Here the choir’s good phrasing and articulation were particularly noticeable.

The second half featured Mozart’s Coronation Mass, composed for the coronation of Francis II as Holy Roman Emperor in 1792 when Mozart was only in his early twenties.  Energy levels and musicality were maintained in spite of the very warm evening.  After the first three movements the singers were given a short rest while Philip treated us to the Adagio of Handel’s Organ Concerto, opus 4 No. 4, the one piece in this concert not directly related to a Coronation!

Waverley Singers always chooses a local charity to support, and the retiring collection in aid of Alton-based Treloar’s, which empowers physically disabled young people to live more independent and fulfilling lives, raised just over £700.

The choir’s next concert will be on Saturday 24 October 2026 at St Thomas-on-The Bourne, and will include the Vivaldi Gloria and Rachmaninov Vespers.

I felt very proud of my fellow singers for giving us all such a thoroughly lovely evening.