Review of concert 22 March 2025
The review below is taken from Mill Hill Broadway Blogspot.
The full review is available here:
https://millhillbroadway.blogspot.com/2025/03/london-pro-arte-choir-spring-concert_23.html
After the huge success of the 75th Anniversary Concert before Christmas the Pro Arte Choir returned to St Michael’s Church with a programme of sacred and opera music including the Puccini Messa di Gloria.  
The first part of the concert saw the Choir sing several pieces. They opened with Rossini’s Salve Regina and the selection was very suitable for the Lent season. Highlights were the Puccini Requiem which was slow and beautifully sung by the choir and a rousing Verdi opera chorus to complete the first part of the concert.  

Following the interval the 45 minute Mass by Puccini was performed so well that there was some applause mid work after the long Gloria movement. The choir tackled the work with great enthusiasm and in the quieter sections produced a lovely sound. 

We are growing accustomed to hearing leading soloists sing with the Pro Arte Choir and tonight two exceptional singers joined the choir. A soaring tenor in Stephen Jenkins and sonorous bass baritone in Jamie Woollard. They both sang with exceptional clarity and in particular created a wonderful soundscape when joined by the choir. The highlight was the final movement Agnus Dei when they dueted along with the choir. Absolutely stunning and a fantastic end to the evening.  

Great applause followed from the audience and well deserved bows for all including the organist Phoebe Tak Wan who played the orchestral reductions superbly in accompaniment and of course Tom Winpenny who conducted the evening with his usual sensitivity to the text and score. 

Review of 75th anniversary concert 23 November 2024.

The review below is taken from Mill Hill Broadway Blogspot.
The full review, including details of the orchestra and soloists is available here:
https://millhillbroadway.blogspot.com/2024/12/london-pro-arte-choir-75th-anniversary.html

The Pro Arte Choir is celebrating its 75 years birthday and has around 50 members. The repertoire has extended beyond the well known oratorios to include modern works. The choir supports local charities and gives a charity concert each Christmas. (Saturday 14 December 5p.m this year)

In the last decade the choir has gone from strength to strength with one of the world’s leading organists and choral conductors Tom Winpenny and accompanied by Phoebe Tak Man Chow another leading organist who is based at the West End’s leading church for music St Martin in the Fields.

The large and often sold out audiences at St Michael’s Church in Mill Hill are treated four times a year to Choral Music with excellent quality, top soloists, accomplished orchestras and for just £20 for adults and free for Under 18s (£10 adults 14 December Carol Concert) 

The anniversary main concert was the Bach Christmas Oratorio – with a large baroque orchestra with many period instruments – and several guest singers in the choir and some of the World’s best soloists in the Bach repertoire.

We wish the Choir another 75 years of success so that more generations can enjoy beautiful music in a beautiful church.   I hope to be around for the 100th anniversary in 2049! Bach’s Christmas Oratorio consists of 6 Cantatas to be sung in church on specific days during the Christmas period.  This was an excellent choice for the Anniversary concert because the first three are full of wonderful tunes for both soloists and chorus as well as a Sinfonia for the orchestra.   In addition St Michael’s is a beautiful church with a high ceiling which creates a perfect acoustic for such music and the audience are close to the performers as they would have been in Bach’s day.

The Choir  From the first phrases of the opening Chorus “Shout for Joy” it was clear that the choir were inspired by the wonderful musicians and soloists in front of them.  They created a large and very balanced sound.  After several years of working with Tom Winpenny they have developed into a very accomplished unit.  The Chorales were unfussy (as they should be) giving prominence to the text and acting as support to the narrative being told by the soloists.  The Chorale at the end of Part 3 again with the Trumpets was a triumphant finale to an evening of excellent music.

Tom Winpenny  Since taking over the choir he has taken their singing to the next level and his choices of musicians and soloists have been first class.  Long may he reign!

The Orchestra “Orpheus Sinfonia” is a young and vibrant London orchestra which plays most of London’s concert halls.   They provided a wonderful sound in the church with 3 period trumpets and woodwind which also was period.  They played with an energy and supported the soloists and choir with sensitivity under the baton of Tom Winpenny.

The four soloists were probably the best I have seen with the Pro Arte Choir and they certainly lit up this anniversary concert and probably no concert hall in London could field such a superb quartet on this cold November evening!

Thanks must go to the Williams Music Trust, Mr Leslie Morgan OBE and other choir members and supporters for donations to make this event take place.  At a top price of £20 it was very clear to the audience that this was far below what they would pay to hear such top artists in London in such an intimate setting. 

The future looks very bright for the Pro Arte Choir and they would love to have more join them whether the singers are trained or beginners.  The Choir has a good social life and is exceptionally friendly.  It really is the jewel in Mill Hill’s musical crown.