That was the eve of the state funeral for ex-president Desmond Hoyte, and some wondered if the restrained performance they had just sat through was in deference to the passing of the opposition leader.

Those not familiar with the considerable Woodside panache must have been quite taken with its regal presence, its silvery tonal quality and its impeccable diction, all hallmarks of a mature, disciplined, and serious choir.

Those who know the Woodside organisation, however, were surprised by the muted performance with a minimal projection of the voices into the auditorium.

It is not easy to say what went wrong.
Did the microphones descending from the ceiling fail to amplify the voices sufficiently? Or did the singers themselves not bother to make the big sound they should have made. Whatever the problem was, the voices were perfect for Althouse's 'Whisper, Whisper’ sung in the second half of the programme.

And there were other elements which conspired to make this jubilee affair not as grand as it could have been.

Half of the programme was taken up with The Christmas Story in Candlelight Carols. The very familiar carols were there, with a narration and dramatis personae, including the holy family et al. The carols, as beautiful as they are, are so very well-known, that any sustained performance of these traditional compositions needs just a bit more than the usual arrangements.

Music publishers have recognised this, and so it is that new recordings of carols feature new elaborate arrangements, with refreshing parts for choirs and lead voices. Just listen to the White Christmas arrangement on the Number One Christmas Album, sung by Dame Kiri Ti Kanawa.

And then there were the endless comings and goings of the holy family and the shepherds and the kings and the angels. Their costumes shimmered very fittingly, but their entrances and exits were intrusive. Then came part two, with the Woodside and the Marigold Choir, and too soon, the jubilee concert was over.

But where were the solos and duets and other ensemble work which do so much to make the Woodside concerts the satisfying productions they once were. Not so long ago, Woodside took to the Theatre Guild stage and managed a satisfying showing with a shower of solos and other varied ensemble work. For some reason, these were not part of the jubilee show.

As the curtain rose on the Woodside concert last Sunday, a one-minute silence was observed for the late Desmond Hoyte.