Amazing Marion Made it Happen
For Marion the night was a celebration, not just of the huge achievements she has made in leading no less than five choirs, but also a celebration of her 50th birthday, something she absolutely couldn’t forget as the concert progressed.
A buzzing and friendly Romsey Abbey was packed with an audience indeed treated to a superbly executed, diverse and thoroughly enjoyable evening of song. The choristers, spanning the generations, performed in a shared tribute to their talented, dedicated, much-loved music teacher and musical director, and their pleasure in being a part of a special night was much in evidence. If anyone doubted Marion’s popularity it was made very visible through choir videos played to the audience praising what she gives to so many people and wishing her Happy Birthday. And not once, but twice the whole audience also joined voices in singing Happy Birthday to Marion.
It would be almost impossible to pick out any one element of the concert programme to highlight, so suffice to say all five choirs were magnificent and each gave of its best. The atmosphere and ambiance in the Abbey proved the perfect setting and the audience was warm and enthusiastic in its applause. Amongst those welcomed on the night were the Mayors of Romsey Town and Test Valley, Romsey’s MP Caroline Nokes, and Romsey Male Voice Choir’s new Patron, the Honourable Alexandra Knatchbull, for whom this was her first experience of an RMVC performance.
Left with one memory of a truly memorable event it has to be the combined choirs’ finale singing ‘Unchained Melody’ – at once joyful and tear-jerking. Then, for those of us lucky enough to retire to the Abbey Primary School for the Birthday Afterglow (again in celebration of Marion) we were able to enjoy a wonderful vocal finish to a wonderful night.
Finally I’m sure Marion would want us to mention the thanks she voiced for the generous support she had from husband Chris and many others in the run up to the concert and on the night.
The five Choirs performing were:
Romsey Youth Choir: Romsey Youth Children’s Choir: Romsey Abbey Primary School: Romsey Voices: Romsey Male Voice Choir.
A retiring collection for Romsey Abbey and the Romsey Abbey C of E Primary School raised the magnificent sum of £1860.
