Touch and go, this week, as to whether the concert would even happen. Heavy snow since Monday, icy roads and dodgy travelling conditions meant it wasn’t until ten o’clock on the morning of the concert, with event organisers exchanging phone-calls like Nato Superpowers planning a strategic response, that the green light came on.

Digital communication then came to the fore, with texts, e-mail and Facebook being deployed to tell performers and potential audience-members alike that the concert was still on. Choir and readers travelled gingerly along icy roads to rehearse at the church in the afternoon, before repairing to an hostelry in the centre of Canterbury for dinner; treacherous travelling meant that most people preferred not to have to go back to campus or home betwixt rehearsal and concert.

And what a concert it was. The Chamber Choir rose to the occasion and unleashed a sound quite unlike anything they have ever delivered in rehearsals hitherto; ensemble was tight, intonation excellent, and well-worked diction meant the words were clear. The readers, including staff from the University, an alumnus and members of the choir, provided some thought-provoking reflections on the Advent season, and the church community provided wine and mince pies for the benefit of all afterwards.

And the aspect most commented upon about the concert ? Not the performing (about which the feedback from the audience was highly enthusiastic afterwards), but the attire: how smart and professional everyone looked. New ties for the chaps and scarves for the ladies, matched and co-ordinated, added to the visual presentation of the performance, and was remarked on by nearly everyone with whom I spoke afterwards. It’s the details that count, just as much as the performing; in fact, perfecting the look and visual presentation of the group already establishes a level of professionalism even before a chord has been sung. Look organised, and the audience already believe you will sound thus, before hearing a thing.

Well done to all, who worked to make the concert a success, and thanks to St. Mildred’s for their support and for the opportunity to perform in their historic church. They’ve asked us back again in the future: the bar has now been set pretty high! The ensemble has flexed its muscles in public on three occasions now, and has grown to become a fully-fledged choir, with a rich and exciting sound. And I confess: I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, proud of the choir and the commitment they’ve shown, and of the heights to which they have risen and the standards they’ve reached.

Next up: Canterbury Cathedral, for the University Carol Service. Bring it on!