Buy Music and Merriment tickets HERE.

NEWS!

A good first rehearsal

The Junior Choir had a very successful first rehearsal at 5:30pm on Sunday 9/11/25, with nearly all expected children attending. After Lucy's exercises to stimulate the young voices, the children learned the first half of 'Shooting Star'. Good progress was then made on 'We have found him', and also on the first verse of 'All in the morning'. The children sang out well, and this was a very encouraging start.

Lucy encouraged the children to listen to the recordings of the songs, with their wordbooks to hand, see below, before the next rehearsal on 16/11/25.

If your child was unable to be present for this rehearsal, please be in touch with Anthony by email aeh@xdotd.co.uk to see what can be done to help catch up ready for the next rehearsal.

The JC wordbook is now available HERE !

A recording of 'Shooting Star' is HERE !

A school recording of 'We have found him' is HERE - use 'skip ads' if necessary!

A synthesised recording of 'It was all in the morning' is HERE

Welcome

Welcome to the Junior Choir page. We will have a lot of fun and put on a great show at the Concert.

This will contain briefs and information for Junior Choir members and their families. We now have 12 members of the Junior Choir (all girls): Charlotte, Eleanor, Ella, Emma, Isla, Jessica, Lauren, Lenarose, Marianne, Phoebe, Rosie and Teddy.

The Junior choir has a very special part to play in the concert, and we hope that it will be a happy experience that you will never forget.

On Sunday evenings 9th, 16th, 23rd November, the Junior Choir will meet at from 5:30-6:30pm at St Mary's church to learn the music that you will sing at the Music and Merriment Concert, which starts at 7:30pm on Saturday 6 December. In the morning of that day, you will have a final rehearsal in the church.

To summarise these are the rehearsal times:

• 5:30-6:30pm Sunday 9/11/25
• 5:30-6:30pm Sunday 16/11/25
• 5:30-6:30pm Sunday 23/11/25
• 5:30-6:30pm Sunday 30/11/25
• 11am-12noon Saturday 6/12/25, the day of the concert.

If possible, JC members should attend all rehearsals, but we know that this is not always possible. Parents are always welcome to attend rehearsals, and many do stay to enjoy the training process. The children will be in safe hands with CRB-cleared adults, so can be left with us.

Lucy Head will be directing the choir, which she has done several times in previous years. William Bishop, St Mary's Director of Music will be accompanying the JC on the piano for the Saturday morning rehearsal, and for the concert itself. Anthony Hodson will be the accompanist for rehearsals.

First JC rehearsal

The first JC rehearsal will take place at 5:30pm at St Mary's Church on Sunday 9th November, and we look forward to seeing you all. Please arrive a little early, to allow time for safe parking, and settling down in church.

The church will be heated in the rehearsal area only, so please be well protected with warm clothes.

Please advise Anthony (aeh@xdotd.co.uk or info@fosmw.com) if it is really impossible for your child to be there - this rehearsal should be attended if at all possible. We do understand circumstance and look forward to seeing you at the next rehearsal.

• Start the concert by singing 'Once in royal David's city' as you walk through the dark church with your glowsticks from the back of the church to the steps near the first big wooden pillar;
• Sing three special songs as you own contribution to the concert music;
• After the interval in the concert, sing by yourselves two verses of 'The first Nowell' - the ones about the Star of Bethlehem.

Lucy Head, JC Director

For rehearsals, you will be directed by Lucy Head (who directed the Junior Choir two years ago.

Lucy is an experienced all-round musician, who studied at the Purcell School of Music and Trinity College of Music as a French horn player, singer and pianist. She is an active musician playing the horn regularly in different orchestras and singing in choirs where possible. She is a proud alumna member of the National Youth Choir of Great Britain and sang in their 40th Anniversary concert at the Royal Albert Hall in April 2023. Lucy teaches at four local schools as a horn specialist, brass and piano teacher. She is delighted to be conducting the Junior Choir again. She will teach you the music, and how to perform it beautifully

What you will be doing

These are your special pieces:

• The first two verses of 'Once in Royal David's city', which you will sing processing up the aisle of the church, by the light of your glowsticks, reaching the chancel steps to sing the second verse. After that, the Senior Choir will sing a verse, and then the audience will sing all the other verses.
• The first song, 'Shooting Star' is not really a Christmas song, but celebrates a special kind of star that reminds us of the Star of Bethlehem.
• The second song 'We have found him', is a gentle song about the shepherds finding baby Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem.
• Your third song is 'It was all in the morning', a lively song that takes you through key happenings in the Christmas story of Bethlehem
• In the second half, you will sing two verses about the Star of Bethlehem in the well-known carol, 'The first Nowell'.

You will be issued with a 'wordbook' at the first rehearsal, on 9 November, from which you will learn your songs. When the concert comes, you will be able to sing the pieces by heart.

Car parking for rehearsals

Car parking for rehearsals in the church should be in the church forecourt, or the Popels Hall carpark 100 yards towards Ascot, or in the White Hart car park

On the day, you should still be able to park on the church forecourt (there will be a few reserved places that you will not be able to use), or you may in the White Hart pub carpark (for which we have spoecial permission.

Be very careful crossing the road if you park in the pub carpark.

Tickets and concessions for JC parents

This is a fund-raising concert for the church, but all JC members have free entry to the concert, and one parent comes at the concession price of £7 (other adults at £14). Tickets may be available for purchase at the rehearsals. You can use the QR code at the top of the page to book tickets before the day.

Concert tickets

Online concert tickets are available HERE or using the QR code at the top of this page.

Adult tickets are £14, and 13s-and-under can have concession tickets at £7. Note that all performers enter free, and, for members of the Junior Choir, one parent can have a ticket at the concession price of £7.

Online ticket sales will not be available after 5pm on Friday 5 December.

Tickets can also be purchased (card or cash) at the door of St Mary's church before the concert on 6/12/25.

Acknowledgement and appreciation

The JC is critically dependent not only on the enthusiasm of the children, but also on the support of their families, particularly the wonderful mums and dads who bring them to rehearsals, and encourage them so much! Thank you all!