MALDON Festival celebrated the life of co-founder Kieran Sampson with a wonderful concert in his honour at St Mary’s Church.

The programme included Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins, beautifully played by Megan Hill and Salomé Rateau, accompanied by a string band made up of friends.

St Mary’s Choir, of which Kieran was also a member, sang Byrd’s Mass for Five Voices, along with a beautiful new setting of the In Paradisum by Ivan Moody, an international composer originally from Mayland.

Ivan composed the piece as soon as he heard of Kieran’s death. Another well-known local composer who was also a friend of Kieran’s, Alan Bullard, played three of his piano preludes, the central one of which he had also composed on hearing of Kieran’s death.

A host of professional singers also took part, singing everything from Richard Strauss to Flanders and Swann. Baritone Christopher Foster rather stole the evening with his own version of Flanders and Swann’s In the Bath, with a special final verse:

Our dear Kieran was a friendly soul who always made us laugh

(but maybe not) in the bath, in the bath

He really showed his best of all with his work for Maldon Festival

(but again, probably not) in the bath, in the bath

He loved his science fiction, Star Trek and that Dr Who,

In politics he was Remain, we wish that he could too

He certainly could wow us when he wore his daring yellow trousers

(but not) in the bath, in the bath.

The concert closed with all 45 performers crammed onto the stage to sing the famous party song from Verdi’s La Traviata – Libiamo!

There had been lots of tears during the concert but it finished, as was fitting, with the atmosphere of an enormous party.

Kieran’s spirit was certainly in the building as the echoes of this joyful music faded away.

By Colin Baldy