“Myths and Melodies: Music for a summer’s Evening” was Cantorum’s light and beautiful Summer Concert this June, given at Holy Trinity Church, Cookham.

Ian Taylor’s carefully crafted programme began with four amorous English madrigals (Sing we and Chant It, Adieu Sweet Amaryllis, Sweet Suffolk Owl and Hark, All ye Lovely Saints) and then moved on to two later English part-songs Stamford’s Diaphenia and The Hills by John Ireland.

Acclaimed local flautist, Julia Bentley, next played the virtuoso flute solo in Rutter’s Suite Antique, with Laurence Frankel (Harpsichord) and the Amabile String Quartet. (Incidentally, this piece was actually first performed at the Cookham Festival in 1979, and so it was particularly rewarding to hear it played again in its original home.) The first half concluded with George Shearing’s jazz settings: Songs and Sonnets from Shakespeare, in which the choir was stylishly accompanied by Gillian Salmon (Piano).

Part Two was pure musical fun with members of the choir given a chance to show off their skills as soloists in Rutter’s The Reluctant Dragon – briefly preceded by My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth, a spoof madrigal setting with plenty of knockabout Fa-la-las (by the fictitious P D Q Bach, actually the American musicologist Peter Schickele). The main item, The Reluctant Dragon, tells of an elderly dragon whose hope of seeing out his retirement pursuing his love of poetry is shattered when his cave is discovered by the local villagers, and St. George is called for. Fortunately, St. George, also now in his dotage, is as reluctant to engage in battle as the dragon. With reputations to uphold, they agree to a mock fight in which the dragon appears to be mortally wounded and after which a celebratory banquet is held. Confusion reigns temporarily as the dragon himself turns up to celebrate – and to read some of his own poetry – but St. George persuades the villagers that the dragon is harmless, and, as the old saying goes, they all live happily ever after. As in all three of Rutter’s Musical Fables, this piece displays a remarkable diversity of stylistic influences, from wistful swing, to fifties rock, to Broadway musical. Amy Dennison, David Hazeldine and Malcolm Stork shone respectively as The Girl, St George and the Dragon.

We in the choir were very proud of this concert. And so we were truly gratified to find our opinion borne out by a very enthusiastic audience response – on a perfect summer’s evening. Attendance was high and subsequent comments glowing!