Florence Cain and friends fill the nave of St Nicholas Church, Alcester with song at spring concert fundraiser

The splendid Georgian nave of St Nicholas Church, Alcester designed by Francis Smith of Warwick was the fitting setting for an international showcase of voice and drama featuring the vocal talents of soprano Florence Cain, an undergraduate in her final year at Guildhall School along with three fellow students and a generous handful of Alcester school pupils.

Florence, from Ardens Grafton, is a winner of numerous awards including the BBC Young Chorister in 2016 and Rotary RIBI National Young Musician in 2019.

She was joined for the spring concert in aid of Warwickshire Young Carers by Filipina soprano Andrea Manuel, American soprano Cecilia Cole and fellow Brit, tenor Charles Secombe who performed some first-class renditions of well-known classics from Handel and Puccini to musical theatre.

There were numerous highlights during the evening notably Piangero La Sorte Mia from Handel’s Giulio Cesare sung by Florence, Ernani Cuenco’s Sampaguita sung by Andrea and surprisingly powerful Love went a-Riding by Frank Bridge sung by Cecilia.

These stellar exhibitions of vocal talent were accompanied on the piano by Lynn Arnold, one third of the Warwick Trio and an international chamber musician and soloist in her own right.

The evening also provided a platform for pupils from Alcester Grammar School (AGS) and Alcester Academy to showcase their singing voices with notable performances by 15-year-old Jacob Davis from AGS who sung an accomplished rendition of Sondheim’s The Ladies who Lunch with great panache and 17-year-old Tom Evans (also AGS) who performed a mesmerising extract from Lungs by Duncan Macmillan.

Bidford’s Harriet Covill, 13, from Alcester Academy gave two delightful vocal performances, including a touching Opportunity from Annie. Last but not least mezzo soprano Abigail Routh, from Chipping Campden School who is studying at the Birmingham Junior Conservatoire gave a memorable performance of Gluck’s Oh del mio dolce ardor.

The concert raised £750 for Warwickshire Young Carers.