Almost there!!

We are almost there, and the plans are holding so far.

Today we have published the draft Compere's Brief - intended as guidance for Tony Bish, who may use his own words as he sees fit. Please be in touch with aeh@xdotd.co.uk if there are any changes that you would like (as a performer or director or any other reason) to have altered in the guidance.

Thank you for all that you are doing to make the concert a success.

The stage management brief will be essentially as last year.

Reserved parking plans will be available in a day or two.

URGENT - PLANS FOR THE DAY

Please advise Anthony aeh@xdotd.co.uk of any changes of plans including for rehearsals on the day.

Rehearsals on the day

The following are our plans for rehearsals in St Mary's Church on the day:

1. 11am – 12 noon – Junior Choir
2. 12:15pm – 1pm – Bell Ringers
3. 3:30pm – 5:30pm – Senior Choir
4. 5:30pm – 6:15pm 5Ts Brass
5. 6:15pm - 6:45pm Sarah Aizawa with John Sayer
6. 6:45pm – 7pm Sergey (piano)

Audience carols

The audience carols have now been selected (see draft concert programme) and the music is accessible through the links below:

• Once in royal David's city (audience/choirs, organ, brass-quintet)
• O Come, O come, Emmanuel (audience/choirs, organ, brass-quintet))
• The twelve days of Christmas (audience and piano)
• The first Nowell (audience/choirs (JC and SC), organ, brass-quintet))
• Joy to the world audience/choirs, organ, brass-quintet))

Once in Royal David's City will be in our traditional form (updated build with some corrections):

• First two verses will be sung by the Junior Choir, processing up the aisle with their glowsticks. They will be accompanied on the piano (AEH to play this; score is OIRDC-intro)
• Verse 3 Senior Choir a capella
• Verse 4,5 Audience with choir, accompanied by brass quintet
• Verse 6 Audience with choir, with descant accompanied by brass quintet and organ

The setting of 'The first Nowell' is based on Willcocks in 100CfC (81). Intro by Organ, Vv1 and 2 and refrain using setting on pp 323,324 for Audience; organ accompaniment v1, quintet v2; Junior choir vv3,4 with refrains to a simple piano accompaniment that AEH will play; v5 with refrain Senior Choir a capella per pp 324, 325; v6 with refrain: audience, organ and quintet. Organ and voice parts are exactly as in 100CfC, but vocal score is available that can substitute for the 100CfC for this purpose.

The setting of 'O come, O come, Emmanuel' uses the words from Common Praise, the harmony from Common Praise for verses 1 and 3 (organ accompaniment), and the last Willcocks harmony from 100CfC for verses 2, 4, 5 (quintet accompaniment for verses 2 and 4, and with the organ for verse 5. The organ can use the Vocal Score.The selling of 'Joy to the world' is per 100CfC, with lively use of the Brass Quintet.

Junior Choir

The Junior Choir is 12 strong - all girls, as last year. The Junior Choir Page is now active, and contains information (including links to music) relevant to the Junior Choir. To reach it, click HERE or on the Junior Choir button above.

Junior Choir music will be:

• 'Once in royal David's city' (introduction - AEH on piano)
• Shooting Star (3-page version - 4 page version available on request)
• 'We have found him'
• 'It was all in the morning' (5-verse version - original has 6 verses)
• 'The first Nowell' (verses 3,4 - AEH on piano)

Senior Choir

The Senior Choir Page is now active, and contains information (including links to music) relevant to the Senior Choir. To reach it, click HERE or on the Senior Choir button above.

We are still recruiting for members of the Senior Choir. If you know of anybody who would be willing and able to sing (take as a guide straightforward carols from 100 Carols for Choirs).

The rehearsal plan is given on the Senior Choir page HERE.

General parking will be:

• On the church forecourt (for designated persons only for the concert itself, but unreserved otherwise)
• White Hart carpark
• Popels Hall (usually a few places available)
• The Old Vicarage
• Overflow if necessary - on the road parking

See button for general parking. The first four options will suffice for performers for rehearsals and for the concert. Some special arrangements for performers will be posted later.

performers' page

This page has notes on dress-code, parking, music-stands, etc.

Concert Principals

These are the concert principals (in alphabetical order):

• Adrian Hoare : Printing manager
• Anthony Hodson : Concert director, Junior Choir accompanist for rehearsals
• Eila Savill : Senior Choir coordinator
• Ian Cadell : Benefactor
• Jill Glennerster : Director, Handbells
• John Edwards : Reader and singer
• John Sayer : Piano accompanist, 5Ts member
• John/Caroline Kimbell : Feature presenters
• Kathryn Harris : Concert lighting
• Len Tyler : Director 5Ts Brass
• Lesley Philpot : Committee member
• Margaret-Anne Hodson : Committee member and front of house
• Phil Norton : Social media
• Alan Rapley : Organist, JC accompanist
• Sarah Aizawa : Violin soloist
• Sergey : (c/o Stella Druzhinina) Soloist piano
• Stephanie Lund : Parish office manager
• Sue Bish : Reader
• Tony Bish : Master of Ceremonies, stage manager
• Viktoria Kincses : Committee Kitchen and front of house
• William Bishop : Director Senior, Junior Choir accompanist for concert

About this page

This page is maintained by Anthony Hodson (aeh@xdotd.co.uk 01344 483347) and is under constant development. Please be in touch with Anthony if you have questions, comments, or material that you feel is important to go up on this or a related web page. The time stamp of this page is in small print at the bottom left of the page, although a new timestamp will not necessarily imply change.

The site will use additional pages. For example, there will be one soon for the Junior Choir (accessed by one of the buttons above).