ON a cold, frosty evening on December 13 an audience of over 170 waited in anticipation of the annual event of Carols & Classics performed by Joseph Fisher and his Fisher Sinfonia at All Saints Church, Merriott.

The audience was not disappointed as a full programme of arols, serious classical music and fun Christmas arrangements were performed to their delight.

Suling King, who had only just arrived back from an appearance in Doha, the capital of Qatar, played Mozart’s Piano Concerto no. 9 beautifully on her first visit to Merriott. Nuno Carapina, now regular to Merriott, played an extremely unusual version of ‘Silent Night’ on the violin by Schnittke.

Full of “purposeful” wrong notes, he had the audience in shouts of laughter and amazement at his skill.

Joseph had yet again assembled an extraordinary group of young and talented classical musicians from leading orchestras in the UK for the Merriott performance. T

hey performed a varied collection of works, including Handel’s Organ Concerto and Glazunov’s String Quintet, a festive jig and their legendary Sleigh Ride rendition arranged by Leroy Anderson.

The evening ended with encores including an Austrian hymn sung from the belfry, accompanied by the strings.

Joseph promised another Carols & Classics next year, his seventh.

Over £700 was raised for church projects, and the eventwas clearly enjoyed by the enthusiastic audience and the instrumentalists. PAUL FISHER