Christmas Concert and Advent Carol Service 2023

The last Sunday of the Michaelmas Term 2023 saw the Chapel full for the much-loved Upper School Christmas Carol service in the traditional form of Nine Lessons and Carols. Choral anthems included traditional items such as Darke’s ‘In the bleak midwinter’ alongside a beautiful new composition ‘The Rose’ from Carols for Choirs 6 by the African-American composer Joel Thompson, and an arrangement by Ken Burton of the spiritual ‘Wasn’t that a mighty day’. Audio of the service is available to listen to here.

This followed a service a week earlier at which the observance of the start of Advent was marked with a performance of movements from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols by Teresa (harpist, Year 12) with combined Upper and Prep School Choirs. We also welcomed members of the Ukrainian Choir ‘Kozachky’ who sang in traditional dress. Readings were from scripture, and by T S Eliot and Christina Rosetti.

Finally, and only 3 weeks after the Autumn Concert, the last Wednesday night of term with the Christmas Concert featured Upper School orchestra with soloists performing seasonal works by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, alongside freshly-made arrangements in the style of Michael Bublé of ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ and ‘Let it snow’. The Soul Band closed the evening with a new arrangement of Band Aid’s 1984 Classic ‘Do they know it’s Christmas’.  A link to the video of highlights from this concert is here to enjoy.

Well done to all choirs and performers for closing a very busy term in style.

A gallery of photos is below – happy Christmas to all!