I REALLY feel like Christmas after this festive concert, which was packed with popular carols and yuletide songs.

It was good to hear Mary's Boy Child, Silver Bells, Deck the Halls and although not particularly Christmassy, Rhythm of Life which really got everyone's toes tapping, and was later encored. I also particularly enjoyed Adiemus from Karl Jenkins's Songs of Sanctuary.

The choir had a problem with Silent Night as they were unable to hear the piano clearly, so were a smidgeon off-key, but the piano was moved and the problem was rectified.

Russell Painter was the guest soloist, and interspersed his songs with readings from a book of letters to Santa, some amusing, some poignant.

Russell's selection included Tonight at Eight from She Loves Me, Maria from West Side Story, Tom Lehrer's A Christmas Carol and Stranger in Paradise. Both the choir and Russell performed O Holy Night, both equally beautiful, but of course entirely different. I was a little disappointed with his performance of La Donna e Mobile which ended strangely, but the undoubted high spot of Russell's contribution was Je crois entendre encore from The Pearl Fishers which produced shivers down the spine. I look forward to hearing him perform this again. Russell was ably accompanied by Edward Small on piano.

No Christmas concert would be complete without children, and we were also entertained by a choir of youngsters from St John's Middle School.

There were some good solos in I Saw Three Ships, another toe-tapper - a medley of calypso carols - and certainly the most modern item in the programme, a lovely carol written by accompanist Morfudd Sinclair less than two weeks prior to the concert, How the Angels Sang. The children joined with the choir for another composition of Morfudd's, Let There be Peace.

Children and choir also combined for the Cowboy Carol, and the entire ensemble, plus audience, did credit to White Christmas. This was a super evening.

VJS