Jazz Celebration: Live at St Mary’s Hitchin

Choral ensemble Voces Florium brought jazz to St Mary’s Hitchin with a rhythm section that would not be out of place on any stage.

Phillip Brunton, Voces Florium, conductor Trevor Hughes and the Joe English Trio

Voces Florium united with the Joe English Trio to perform a selection of tunes by British contemporary composers Bob Chilcott and Will Todd, as well as the trio performances of works by jazz greats McCoy Tyner and John Coltrane.

A Little Jazz Mass by Bob Chilcott, one of the UK’s most prolific and well-respected choral composers, takes the choir and trio around a series of jazz grooves. Later in the programme, there were Chilcott arrangements of The House of the Rising Sun and Scarborough Fair.

The whole second half of this glorious concert in the wonderful acoustics of St Mary’s Church was a performance of Mass in Blue by Will Todd. A masterful jazz setting of the Christian mass, this was also an opportunity for soloists within the choir to step forward alongside the alto and soprano saxes of Phillip Brunton.

When given the space to perform on their own, the jazz trio were outstanding. Joe English is currently completing his studies at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and he brought with him two recent graduates - James Leaver (bass) and Theo Hayhurst (drums). All three performed with professional aplomb, stepping back to accompany and soloing when required.

In particular, their segue from Tyner’s Utopia into Coltrane’s Resolution was exquisite - hints at A Love Supreme from the piano and a bass solo to bridge the gap. Since Tyner was the pianist on the Coltrane album, there was a sense of continuum in the trio’s rendition of the two tunes.

Whether you like choral music or jazz, this concert blended the two beautifully in the gorgeous setting of St Mary’s under the baton of renowned conductor Trevor Hughes.

Jazz Celebration was part of Hitchin Festival, which continues throughout July