CHORISTER Brian Gray tells me that more than 800 people filled the Sportshalle, at Saint-Blaise-Du-Bois, to witness a very rare event (for France) - a performance of Handel’s Messiah, by Toutes Aures, a choir based in the nearby town of Voiron (about 20 miles from Grenoble, in southern France) together with about 30 singers from the Kendal area (including Brian).

In addition to singers from Kendal Choral Society, soprano Greeba Hurst, and well-known Morecambe contralto Janet Hoyle joined the vocal throng.

Also performing was Barrow tenor Ian Honeyman, who has connections with the French choir going back many years and acted as the go-between for the French choir’s trip across the English Channel to Kendal in May 2002, and the Kendal society’s return visit.

As well as a great concert Brian said the actual performance was a triumph for Anglo-French relations, with Mike Critchlow (organ and piano) and conductor Alan Gardner travelling twice to France to rehearse with the choir and orchestra in the lead up to the visit. It is interesting to note that of about 75 singers in the French choir, not one of them had ever sung the Messiah before. They worked hard under director Genevieve Blayo to conquer both the unfamiliar music and the English words.

In addition, the English choristers managed to glimpse some of the magnificent countryside and lubricate their vocals chords with a drop of the local Chartreuse liqueur produced in Voiron. The choir’s parting gesture was presenting the French ensemble’s president with a painting of Cartmel Priory from the brush of Kendal artist Bill Williams.