Audience reaction to Launceston Choral Society’s recent summer concert was one of delight.

Musical director Jonathan Mann’s programme took everyone on a gentle meander through much-loved popular music from the past from Fats Waller’s Ain’t misbehavin’ complete with do-waps, via 1950’s film music ‘Try to Remember’ and the wild and windy ‘Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing’ and spoof versions of classical favourites like Flanders & Swann’s Ill Wind aka Mozart’s famous French horn concerto and a 3 Minute Messiah to spirituals before a can-can dash round London’s tube system with Orpheus in the Underground.

Guest accompanist, Mary Mazur-Park, her husband Leslie, oboe, and their pianist and organist daughter, Kamilla sprinkled stardust on the way: Leslie with Gabriel’s Oboe by Morricone, The Rose (melody borrowed from Mendelssohn) made famous by Bette Midler and one of his own compositions celebrating spring Little Lambs. Mary and Kamilla played Debussy’s En Bateau as a piano duet.

Jonathan gave Central Methodist Church’s Compton organ a good workout by transforming it into a theatre organ for ‘A walk in the Black Forest’ with Horst Jankowski and nearly blew the sopranos off the stage when the Coronation Scot by Vivian Ellis approached the buffers.

The usual retiring collection was made, this time for St Luke’s Hospice and Cornwall Hospice Care and raised £320.

The society’s next concert will be on November 16 when they will be performing Parts 1, 2 and 3 of Bach’s joyful Christmas Oratorio and their usual Christmas Carol concert will be on Saturday 14 December.