Review by Graham Tutthill

One year ago we were all glued to our TVs watching staff from P&O Ferries winning the workplace choir of the year competition.

So on Thursday it was good to see the choir reach new heights as members performed a Christmas concert in the “highest” church in Dover, St Mary in Castro at Dover Castle.

The previous evening they had been singing in Trafalgar Square and a few days earlier at a carol concert in London attended by the Princess Royal.

At the castle it was appropriate that the ever-smiling choir member Julie Williamson, who first greeted choirmaster Gareth Malone at the ticket booth at the Eastern Docks as he began his search for choristers, sang the opening solo verse of the carol Once In Royal David’s City, her pure, clear voice resounding around the historic church.

After the open air of Trafalgar Square, musical director Hilary Campbell described the church’s acoustics as “bliss”.

Mayor of Dover Cllr Pam Brivio was among the audience at the afternoon performance, joining the rest of the audience in three more carols, Silent Night, Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing and O Little Town Of Bethlehem.

The programme included pieces that the choir learnt for the television programme, and some new items that Miss Campbell has added to their repertoire.

Carol Of The Bells, The Christmas Song, All I Want For Christmas, O Holy Night and Jingle Bell Rock were among the festive pieces, with Coldplay’s Fix You, the powerful Ain’t No Mountain High Enough and a brilliant performance of Karl Jenkins’ Adiemus as other highlights.

When Gareth Malone auditioned members, he didn’t realise he had a music graduate among them, but Michael Schlamm is not only an excellent singer, he also plays several instruments and added recorder and viola accompaniment to two songs.

Despite the logistical difficulties of getting shore and seafaring staff together, as well as one based in Calais, most of the choir members are the same as those recruited for the original television programme. A few new ones have been recruited and that is promising for the choir’s future.

After the performance, the audience moved across to the castle’s Great Tower for mulled wine and mince pies and were treated to more singing, this time by the Blossom Street ensemble, founded by Miss Campbell and some of her university friends a decade ago.

It was a fitting end to an amazing year for the P&O Ferries Choir.

The people of Dover have every reason to be very proud of them and we look forward to hearing them sing at more events in 2015.