The main work at the Watford Philharmonic Society’s concert at the Watford Colosseum on Saturday, March 14, was a performance by the choir and orchestra of Brahms’ Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem). This is not a Requiem Mass in the traditional style as Brahms’ intention was to console the living and focus less on the dead. The work was sung in German, an ambitious project that was a joy to hear. Today one of the most popular and frequently performed choral works it is a challenging experience for singers, a challenge that the Watford Philharmonic choir met with enthusiasm, despite having to stand for virtually the whole performance. They were ably supported by soprano Monica Bancoş (a last minute change due to illness) and bass-baritone James Oldfield.

The evening began with another piece by Brahms, a rousing performance of the Academic Festival Overture from the orchestra, the choir joining with the Gaudeamus igitur. First performed in 1881, the overture is a single movement of four continuous sections with a number of themes, opening with an adaptation of the Rakóczy March, a particular favourite of the composer.

The Watford Philharmonic Society is now affiliated to the Josephine Baker Trust, a charity founded to support young singers. This will enable the Society to give some of the best and most promising young graduates the opportunity to take part in future concerts. If the two soloists in Saturday’s concert are an example, Watford audiences have much to look forward to.