Festive concert brings Christmas magic to Ayr Music Club

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Continuing a season of recitals entitled 'Live Music in Ayr', members and friends of Ayr Music Club were hosts at Alloway Church Hall to the Aesop Ensemble.

Directed by Andy McTaggart, the Aesop Ensemble, Catriona Hewitson - Soprano, Jonathan Kennedy - Baritone, Will Conway - ’Cello and Hebba Benyaghla - Piano, presented a most varied programme from the classical repertoire on December 7.

The opening bars of the music, 'Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring' sung as a duet, left the audience in no doubt that they were about to be entertained by musicians of the highest calibre.The first half continued with arias from Handel’s 'Messiah', further works by Bach, including a solo ’cello 'Allemande' before culminating with Bach-Gounod’s 'Ave Maria' and the 'Sandman' duet from 'Hansel and Gretel'.

After a break for festive fare, the concert continued in lighter vein with duets from 'Die Fledermaus' and 'The Merry Widow' interspersed with solos from 'La Boheme' and 'Don Giovanni' before moving to a selection of well-loved Christmas Classics.