Carol Services
News
17 Dec 2018
Sunday 9th and Monday 10th December saw the annual Carol services take place in the Chapel of St. Saviour with the Chapel Choir in particularly fine voice.
Following introductory words from the Chaplain, Laura Crooks (Remove, Neal) opened the service with the customary solo verse of ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, singing this solo with great purity and nerve. James MacMillan’s ‘O Radiant Dawn’ was the first carol sung by Schola Cantorum in which the alternations of texture and dynamic were crafted very nicely. John Rutter’s music is synonymous with this festive season and the Chapel Choir sang his ‘Nativity Carol’ with great sensitivity. Singing from the East End, Schola Cantorum sang Philip Stopford’s evocative ‘Lully, Lulla, Lullay’ with Laura Crooks floating a very high descant sublimely over the top of the texture. Herbert Howells’ ‘Here is the Little Door’ was the next carol with the constant fluctuations of tempo and character carried off very nicely. Oliver Pilgrim was the soloist for Peter Cornelius’ ‘Three Kings’ with the choir accompanying this baritone very sensitively in this chorale setting. ‘The Shepherd’s Pipe Carol’ added the typical bright festive character to the service with Mr Thompson’s precise playing coming to the fore. Finally, John Rutter’s SSA arrangement of ‘Tomorrow shall be my dancing Day’ was the final carol of the service with the glissandi and lilting melody giving great joy and delight to all in attendance.
A delightful array of music and singing to bring an extremely busy term of singing in which there has been a Remembrance Concert and Evensong at St. Paul’s Cathedral alongside the weekly services, to a close.