Reviews

WHAT OUR AUDIENCE SAYS ABOUT US    

Christmas Concert – Dec 2019
” Well done wonderful Aeolians! you pulled it off yet again! A thoroughly enjoyable concert and you are still sounding good.  A joy to come.”

Christmas Concert – Dec 2017
“I thoroughly enjoyed your concert this afternoon. The children were lovely and so enthusiastic. The Aeolians were well balanced and it was lovely to hear the altos.”

Workshop – Oct 2017 
“We should like to say how much we enjoyed the Come and Sing event on Saturday. It was a lovely atmosphere, we felt very welcome and we learned much from Stephen Jones. It was a 120 mile round trip for us and we felt it was very much worth it – unfortunately, a little to far for us to join and attend rehearsals.”
“Please pass our thanks on to all those choir members involved in organising the event and also to Stephen.  And if you know who baked the apple cake, please say it was fantastic!”

Summer Concert – July 2017
“Please pass on my warmest congratulations and thanks for a delightful afternoon’s music and delicious tea. You must be shattered but it was very much enjoyed and appreciated.”

Elgar’s ‘Dream of Gerontius’ – November 2016
“I thought that Saturday’s Gerontius was a triumph. It was very moving to be in the audience, facing all the musicians, and feeling the full force of the drama.  It was such an intimate and involving performance, and I can honestly say that in future years I’ll remember it more vividly than Simon Rattle’s at the Proms last year, marvellous though that was.  Aeolians, CCC and soloists were all great – as were HCO, who I thought did a really marvellous job with the reduced orchestral score.  But Stephen of course had the vision to hold it all together – which he did superbly.”
“I thought that the performance of The Dream of Gerontius was wonderful and very moving.  Please convey my congratulations to Stephen for doing such a splendid job in pulling it all together and to the choir for singing so beautifully and demonically.”
“What an evening! It was absolutely magnificent! I was so moved and proud of you all. Stephen was amazing.  I know that a huge amount of work has gone on in many quarters to bring tonight off so fantastically.  It seemed to be a pretty good audience. The soloists and orchestra were first class. All in all a great achievement. Thank you so much.”
“I wanted to say how much we enjoyed the performance of Gerontius on Saturday. It was incredibly moving. It all felt very secure and the balance between the two choirs was just right. It felt totally committed and involving,  and in the moment – not easy to achieve. I actually felt – as one very rarely feels during any performance – that I never wanted it to finish. The soloists not only sang well but also acted well, too, It was a shame you couldn’t see their faces. As Gerontius sang ‘into thy hands’ the priest was standing behind him slightly to one side looking so caring it was almost too much.  And during the Great Blaze, the ecstasy on Gerontius’ face as he stood there matched the ecstasy of the music and then led to ‘Take me away’ being utterly – literally – breathtaking. And the orchestra were stunning – they obviously enjoyed it, and were a great support – also played with great commitment. Not forgetting Stephen’s fantastic conducting, bringing the whole thing together. All in all worth all the hard work and it really felt like the whole ensemble had very much got under the skin of the music. Bravo to all.”
“I enjoyed last night and was pleased I made the effort to come out on a wet night! Choir was good – your Demons were demonic and the angels absolutely angelic. I thought the orchestra were pretty good and Peter Davoran’s ‘acting’ was great – very believable.”
“It was a fine performance by all concerned. Congratulations to Stephen, the choirs and the soloists!”
“I thought that the conviction and energy of the choirs was outstanding and their support of each other led to a beautiful quality of sound of which they should all be proud. Please pass on my congratulations to them.”
“Really difficult to pull such a work together, but you did it, a real tour de force. Many congratulations. It was much more enjoyable than the last performance I heard in the proms at the Albert Hall, I just wish a few more of the thousands of people who attended the Albert Hall had been in Hemel Hempstead last night. They would not have been disappointed.”
“A real pleasure to hear the mezzo and the bass, and lots of passion from the tenor. They all put heart and soul into it, very commendable.”

Christmas Carol Concert – December 2015
“Well done to all for a really superb concert last night. The choir sounded beautiful and the choice of music was varied and satisfying. The four children made an amazing sound, bless them. In the audience I felt there was a very positive response, such a good feeling of enjoyment and appreciation. The applause showed this!”
“Congratulations Aeolian Singers, a beautiful tone and well balanced. I loved the whole concert, the choir items broken up with readings, children’s choir and the solo trumpet. It was good to hear well known songs and unusual ones.”
“Had a thoroughly enjoyable evening watching the Aeolian Singers perform their Christmas concert. I go every year, as it wouldn’t be Christmas without it for me.”
“The concert was just wonderful, I loved it all. A varied programme including a very talented trumpet player, guided community singing, and 4 under 11s giving a robust performance of Christmas Chopsticks, what more could you ask for before Christmas?”

Chilcott’s ‘Cries of London’ and Fauré’s Requiem – November 2015
“It was lovely.  The ‘Songs and Cries of Old London’ was very impressive – it must of been quite tricky to perform and I think that all who knew her (Sue) were moved by the sublime Ave Verum Corpus”. 
“We loved the concert. Every aspect: the choir, the young singers, the combination of piano and organ, meeting friends and of course the music.”

50th Anniversary performance of Handel’s Messiah – April 2014
“I just wanted to say thank you and well done for the performance tonight. My daughter (aged 12) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a wonderful performance!  Such a treat to be able to see such a performance locally.    Thanks again.”
“We did so enjoy Saturday evening,  It was such a special occasion and the Aeolians and Chandos Orchestra (what a happy choice of name)  under the direction of Stephen. It pulled out all the stops!  I thought that the Aeolians sang especially well and controlled splendidly all those wayward runs that Handel liked to indulge in.  ‘All We Like Sheep’ was brilliant and the full bodied tone in the climaxes in all choruses was vibrant and exciting.”