Did you know that Christmas Carols have been around for nearly a thousand years? There were Christmas chants even before that, but a carol suggests a popular song to a tune that everyone can join in with, and for 900 years in Europe, and 600 years in Britain, people have celebrated the Christmas season with joyful, rousing and moving songs, telling the Christmas story. The Surrey Hills choirs are proud to bring their own joy and celebration to the season with our annual Christmas concert, which will be on Sunday 7th December, 7pm, at St Nicolas Church, Bury Street, Guildford.
The setting is beautiful: stained glass windows, a magnificent carved wooden font, grand columns and arches have helped make the church a favourite for weddings and concerts, and we will add to the atmosphere by filling the church with candles to create a magical spectacle. There will be some well-known carols for the audience to join in with, including Once in Royal David’s City, and our two choirs will beguile you with songs old and new. Don’t expect us to stand in rigid lines at the front singing to you from music books: we have worked to memorise the music, and will use the length and breadth of the church to entertain and, we hope, enchant you.
Our mixed voice choir, the Surrey Hills Chamber Choir, will sing several pieces by living composers which are modern takes on much older texts. These include Michael McGlynn’s Wexford Carol, from a 500 year old Irish original, and Michael John Trotta’s Veni, Veni Emmanuel, which combines medieval words and musical ideas within modern rhythms and harmonies. Tavener’s The Lamb, Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque and Arvo Pärt’s Morning Star are more ethereal and mysterious, whereas Assersohn’s Make we joy now in this fest is fast and full of fun. With Morten Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium we have one of the most beautiful and popular Christmas pieces of the last 30 years.
Joanna Forbes Lestrange’s Advent O Carol, another modern take on medieval words, will see the Chamber Choir joining forces with the ladies of the Surrey Hills Singers, who will also sing Amy Fell Bernon’s high energy, festive Throw Open your Shutters, as well as David Waggoner’s sublime blending of Infant Holy and The First Noel in his Noel Fantasy. They also will be performing a set of three beautiful songs on the theme of the winter landscape, Winterlight, also by Amy Bernon, The Snow by Edward Elgar and Tundraby Ola Gjeilo.
Included in the ticket price are drinks and nibbles after the concert. Our Christmas concerts have become an indispensable part of the festive season for many of our supporters, so tickets do sell out fast. Tickets will be £15 for Adults and £5 for under 16s and will be available to book online from Friday 21st November at www.singsurreyhills.com.