Tag Archives: carols

three carol services and a wedding

After the Christmas Oratorio at the beginning of December I didn’t have any more Christmas concerts, but I had more carol services than usual: Advent, a special one on behalf of the local hospital, and the church Christmas one (which … Continue reading

Posted in singing at services | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

two lots of carols for the Christmas market

It’s a few years since I sang carols at Bath’s Christmas market. This year I had two shots, back to back! Firstly I did some moonlighting by running through a few standard carols with the combined forces of some of … Continue reading

Posted in singing - other | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

BLOOD on my back

Not as bad as it sounds. Some of our church choir were part of a group singing carols at Sainsbury’s in Chippenham in aid of the Freewheelers, popularly known as the ‘Blood Bikes’, volunteer bikers who transport blood supplies to … Continue reading

Posted in singing - other, singing at services | Tagged , | Leave a comment

a lot of carol singing

I got through quite a lot of carols and Christmas hymns this year. We had the usual Advent and Christmas carols services at church, and the Christmas one brought some new pieces: Philip Stopford’s setting of the Coventry Carol and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

On the German border

I made two overseas trips in December, both near the border of Germany. First a short break in Aachen. The Cathedral there had a handsome organ, though its unique shape may give it some acoustic peculiarities (I didn’t hear the … Continue reading

Posted in going to services | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Carol singing on Sion Hill

As I was in Bath this year, I looked for some local door-to-door carol singing to join in but didn’t find any. It’s less common in urban areas than in villages, and in central Bath there is the problem that … Continue reading

Posted in singing - other | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Our Tavener tribute

Much Christmas programming must have included something by the late John Tavener. Our carol service included God is with us near the end. This piece has been on my wishlist for a few years, despite the fact that it is … Continue reading

Posted in singing at services | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The Wexford Carol at last

Our Christmas carol service brought my first chance to sing what I think is one of the most beautiful carols of all: the Wexford Carol. This gorgeous Irish melody doesn’t really need all the oooh-ing and aah-ing that John Rutter … Continue reading

Posted in singing at services | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Advent at Christ Church Bath

We held over our Advent carol service till the second Sunday of Advent, in order not to clash with similar services at Bath Abbey and elsewhere. There was a piece (and composer) new to me: Come, thou long-expected Jesus by … Continue reading

Posted in going to concerts, singing - other, singing at services | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lots of carol-singing: outside church

A few days before Christmas I did something I haven’t done before: joined the Chandos Singers for carol-singing at Bath’s Green Park Station (for non-Bathonians, this is a former railway terminus which now houses shops and a brasserie). One of … Continue reading

Posted in singing - other | Tagged , | Leave a comment