Oxford Gargoyles

WHERE else on a wet Friday evening could you enjoy music by Glenn Miller, Nat King Cole, James Brown and Herbie Hancock along with an original setting of the Canticles performed by a 12-piece acapella chorus?

The church was comfortably full for the scintillating harmonies of Oxford Gargoyles, stopping off en route to the Edinburgh Fringe where they have made a name for themselves in recent years, in addition to tours in Hong Kong and Macau.

Musical director Caroline Halls offers clever and beautiful choral arrangements and confidently conducted the choir. The choir had been staying with a member, bass Daniel Overin, ex-head boy at Richmond School, and their garden rehearsals had been the talk of the neighbourhood.

Their opener, In the Mood, presented a vocal translation of the Miller classic, the bass singers miming playing each other, and plenty of trumpet and trombone buffoonery, which set the and bar, for the night.

Any anti-jazz concerns were blown away by crisp harmonies and seamless choreography.

Diggin’ on James Brown was one of several funky items, contrasting nicely with more traditional fare such as Disney’s You’ve got a friend in me Reviews and Peggy Lee’s Fever.

None of the numbers a straight adaptation – many included snippets of excerpts from other songs, such as the Jets’ song from West Side Story, complete with choreography.

In one number, several soloists were introduced as new gargoyles who had been with the group for less than a year.

Highlight of the concert was a new arrangement by tenor Jacob Swindells, named Magnifiscat and Funk Dimittis. There have been many settings of the Nunc Dimittis, none as fun as this.

Their music was reminiscent of the 1950s’ quartet the Hi Los and more recently Manhattan Transfer and Singers Unlimited – all of whom breathed new musical life into sometimes slightly tired material.

Their heritage is safe as long as the Gargoyles continue to put on a show like this.

John Hunter