St Martin’s Church, Gospel Oak, was packed to the rafters for this year’s annual Choral Concert in early May. On a glorious Saturday afternoon, CamJam Voices, the Chamber Choir, Camden Youth Choir and the Saturday Singers filled the church with a rich and joyful mix of traditional songs from around the world, American Songbook classics, pop arrangements and contemporary choral favourites.

Each conductor and accompanist brought a distinctive musical perspective to the afternoon, reflected not only in their choice of repertoire but also in the character and colour of each performance. CamJam Voices delighted with Wau Bulan, a traditional Malay song performed seated on the floor with rhythmic percussion, while the Chamber Choir delivered a haunting rendition of Days of Beauty by Ola Gjeilo. The programme also featured Cat Burns’ Live More and Love More, Walking in Memphis, and Irving Berlin’s tender What’ll I Do? The Saturday Singers presented an arresting piece by Adrian Martineau, The Trees, a fellow singer and one of our parents!

Most impressive of all, every song was sung from memory and with real heart—no folders, no buried faces, just bright, expressive singing. The concert closed with more than 100 voices rising together in Can’t Buy Me Love, a joyful finale that perfectly captured the spirit, warmth and strength of choral singing in the borough.