Buy Music and Merriment tickets HERE.

First rehearsal 20

We look forward to seeing you at the first Senior Choir rehearsal at 7:30pm in St Mary's Church, on Thursday 20/11/25. Please be a little early so that we can start on time, and please bring your '100 Carols for Choirs' books if you have them, and also (if possible) a copy of the anthem 'A Prayer for Christmas Day'.

We will be able to provide paper copies of resources if you really need this - it would be most helpful if you could advise Anthony Hodson at aeh@xdotd.co.uk that you will need this, so that we don't run out. The resources are:

• A prayer for Christmas Day (see www.xdotd.com/music/choral/PCD/), a new anthem co-dedicated to the Winkfield Senior Choir
• A maiden most gentle (see 100CfC p21 or use www.fosmw.com/concert/2025/mandm-sc-anthems.pdf)
• Past Three O'clock (see 100CfC p269 or use www.fosmw.com/concert/2025/mandm-sc-anthems.pdf)
• A merry Christmas (see 100CfC p164 or use www.fosmw.com/concert/2025/mandm-sc-anthems.pdf)
• Once in Royal David’s City (solo verse 3 and descant verse 6) (see 100CfC p260 or use OIRDC vocal score)
• O come. O come, Emmanuel (see 100CfC p230 or use OCOCE vocal score)
• The first Nowell (solo verse 5 and descant v6), (see 100CfC p323 or use TFN vocal score)
• Joy to the World (see 100CfC p202 or use JTTW vocal score)

The last five are audience carols, which are a combination of audience, Junior Choir and Senior Choir. Details will be provided at the rehearsal, or can be found in the audience carol material lower down on this page.

Please print out your copies of the audienec carol vocal scores if you can, but we will have a supply for thr rehearsal

Prayer for Christmas day

These are the singing resources for the new anthem 'Prayer for Christmas Day':

score

soprano part synthesised recording

alto part synthesised recording

tenor part synthesised recording

bass part synthesised recording

All parts synthesised recording

Welcome!

Welcome to the Music and Merriment Senior Choir page. It is great to have you work with us for our great Christmas Concert. Thank you for your support.

We have now finalised our concert programme, and the Junior and Senior Choirs have a most importat part. You can find the current draft HERE or you can use the button above.

The Senior Choir is managed by Eila Savill (savill.eila@yahoo.com)., The choir is directed by William Bishop Bishop, William (2023) . Web and general concert matters are managed by Anthony Hodson (aeh@xdotd.co.uk).

Rehearsals

Rehearsals are planned for the two last Thursdays of November, and the day of the concert:

• 7:30-9 or 9:30pm Thursday 20/11/25
• 7:30-9 or 9:30pm Thursday 27/11/25
• 3:30pm-5:30pm Saturday 6/12/25, the day of the concert.

After the Saturday afternoon rehearsal, it is planned to dine at the White Hart, to be ready in good time for the concert at 7:30pm.

The senior choir will be directed by William Bishop, Music Director of St Mary's. Alan Rapley will be organist and will be present for all rehearsals.

Singers are being coordinated by Eila Savill, and Anthony Hodson at aeh@xdotd.co.uk or 01344 483347 will coordinate communications

Audience carols

The Senior Choir has a leading role in the Audience Carols (except 'The 12 days of Christmas'). and in each case the 100CfC setting is used by the Senior Choir. However, the settings are extended to include our Brass Quintet, and arrangements for the Junior Choir.

These are the carols and related music:

• Once in Royal David’s City (solo verse 3 and descant verse 6) (see 100CfC p260, also https://www.fosmw.com/concert/music/OIRDC/)
• O come. O come, Emmanuel (see 100CfC p230, also https://www.fosmw.com/concert/music/OCOCE/)
• The first Nowell (solo verse 5 and descant v6), (see 100CfC p323, also https://www.fosmw.com/concert/music/TFN/)
• Joy to the World (see 100CfC p202, also https://www.fosmw.com/concert/music/JTTW/)

The Senior Choir has no special involvemenet in the 'Twelve days of Christmas'Note: Audience music has been relocated and in some cases re-printed to pdf to improve layout without musical changes.

Senior Choir anthems

The choir will be singing its own pieces with a slot in the first half and another slot in the second half:

• A prayer for Christmas Day (see www.xdotd.com/music/choral/PCD/), a new anthem co-dedicated to the Winkfield Senior Choir
• A maiden most gentle (see 100CfC p21)
• Past Three O'clock (see 100CfC p269)
• A merry Christmas (see 100CfC p164)

For those who do not have their own ‘100 Carols for Choirs’, these three anthems are all contained in www.fosmw.com/concert/2025/mandm-sc-anthems.pdf from which they may be printed separately if needed.

The additional scores for these reflect the sharing of the accompaniment by organ and brass quintet, and also of the singing by the Junior Choir.

White Hart dining

Eila Savill is very kindly handling the arrangements for dining in the White Hart. Please be in touch with her directly if necessary

Senior Choir dress code

The SCC dress code is black tie for gentlemen and long, all black skirts or trousers with black tops for ladies.