The Cambridge University Pop Orchestra is fast becoming a Cambridge institution. With popularity of their concerts reaching levels normally reserved for the annual Footlights Pantomime, their one-night-only events now sell out in hours. With such an enthusiastic audience packing out Trinity Chapel it would have been miraculous if the hundred strong group, decked out in their best Disney fancy dress, had not received a thunderous standing ovation at the end of the night. That the performers truly deserved every minute of that applause goes without saying, but part of what make these events such a pleasure to attend is the interaction between the performers and their audience. The group visibly feeds off the audience’s appreciation, giving performances more outrageously enjoyable every time. 

The evening started with a rousing rendition of The Bells of Notre Dame, with Sam Oladeinde combining on-point vocals with a hysterically comic turn as Clopin. It was numbers like this, where the sheer power of the large orchestra and choir was fully realised that provided some of the most impressive moments of the concert. Yet their own volume was something of a mixed blessing, with the acoustics of the chapel sometimes making it impossible to fully appreciate the intricacies of the arrangements. For the most part however, the emotion and skill of the performers carried through the wall of sound that was being produced.

The evening's programme contained too many stand-out performances to mention everyone here. Emma Powell and Henry Jenkins reduced the audience to helpless giggles with their version of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Freddie Tapner produced a range of voices worthy of Robin Williams himself, as the Genie from Aladdin. The four Muses performance of Zero to Hero were another favourite of mine, but there wasn't a single weak point in the impressive line-up of soloists. The orchestra and choir too went from strength to strength, even managing some beautiful quiet moments of harp and strings between the showstopper numbers.

With the whole of the Disney catalogue to choose from the organisers succeeded in selecting a programme of tunes that contained both traditional favourites like Colours of the Wind and Part of that World and less obvious choices like The Mob Song from Beauty and the Beast. The now obligatory Let It Go also made an appearance, complete with Idena Menzel-esque breathy vocals and a soaring upper register from Lauren Hutchinson. If I had one complaint it would have been that the audience would have very happily stayed for a longer show; with the whole event lasting slightly under an hour it seemed as if the evening was over as soon as it had begun.

The concert marked the last for conductor Simon Nathan who ceremoniously handed on the baton to his successor “the more than competent” Ben Glassberg for the encore. With such a wealth of talent and enthusiasm in the group however, it seems likely we’ll be seeing then back as over-the-top as ever very soon.