The Chantry Singers concert in the Pump Room happened on Saturday night. Despite fears about the ever-increasing number of Christmas concerts by other choirs (at least 3 others in the area that night), it more or less sold out. Vocally it was not too taxing as there were no notes above a G and not many of those. (It wouldn’t have been very different if I’d sung 1st soprano rather than 2nd).
My high notes got more of a workout the following night when I was singing 9 Lessons and Carols in Bathwick. This must be the first time in over ten years that I’ve done such a service. I was one of a number of extras drafted in and the choir made a strong sound, necessary because the hymns were accompanied by 8 (!) brass players. I knew all about it because I was right in front of them and in fact had to position myself very carefully, guided by the pattern of tiles on the church floor, so that one of the trumpeters could see the conductor. (I believe the BBC does positioning by painting footprints on the floor!) Our guest conductor was Anthony Crossland, formerly of Wells Cathedral. Several of the carols had a local connexion, including Clifford Harker’s arrangement of Away in a Manger, the soupiest I’ve ever encountered.