So it should come as no surprise to readers of this blog, that I have already started rehearsing the Christmas Carols and Christmas Music.
From a church point of view, I have an Advent Carol Service, two Christmas Toddlers Praise Services, a Christingle Service, a Nativity Play, Carol Singing (at the local hotel), a Festival of Lessons and Carols, a Midnight Mass, and a Christmas Day Eucharist Service to play for.
In addition I usually find myself rehearsing the Christmas music/songs/ Carols at the Primary School I play the piano for.
If I don’t get my act together I would find that by the beginning of the third week in December life would be chaotic, carols would have not been rehearsed, and time would be rapidly running out.
I have a broad and varied selection of carols and Christmas songs to rehearse. There are the usual traditional Christmas Carols one expects to find at a Festival of Lessons and Carols – Once in Royal David’s City, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, While Shepherds Watched, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come all ye Faithful etc, My Male Voice Choir are working on Love Came Down at Christmas, Christmas Bells [a three part round], Let There be Peace on Earth, Mary Had a Baby, De Virgin Mary, The Star Carol, Son of the Virgin, Still, Still, Still, Little Drummer Boy and Joy to the World [a fantastic arrangement by Alan Simmons incorporating music from about eight different classical pieces, including Handel’s Halleujah Chorus, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Strauss’ Radetsky March and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony!] whilst for the school children there is a completely different mix of Christmas music and songs,
I also give talks in a series I call “My Kind of Music” and have two Christmas programmes, one on the traditional carols but performed in a different style or manner – it might be handbells playing a carol, or a brass band, or a swing group like The Swingle Singers. My other talk takes in music tied in with the Christmas Customs and Traditions – so there is music about Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe, Christmas Trees, Santa Claus, snow etc.
Usually before the end of the Christmas Holidays I am heartily sick of the sound of Carols, but it never fails to surprise me how fresh and new they sound when I start rehearsing them.
If I don’t get my act together I would find that by the beginning of the third week in December life would be chaotic, carols would have not been rehearsed, and time would be rapidly running out.
I have a broad and varied selection of carols and Christmas songs to rehearse. There are the usual traditional Christmas Carols one expects to find at a Festival of Lessons and Carols – Once in Royal David’s City, O Little Town of Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, While Shepherds Watched, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come all ye Faithful etc, My Male Voice Choir are working on Love Came Down at Christmas, Christmas Bells [a three part round], Let There be Peace on Earth, Mary Had a Baby, De Virgin Mary, The Star Carol, Son of the Virgin, Still, Still, Still, Little Drummer Boy and Joy to the World [a fantastic arrangement by Alan Simmons incorporating music from about eight different classical pieces, including Handel’s Halleujah Chorus, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Strauss’ Radetsky March and Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony!] whilst for the school children there is a completely different mix of Christmas music and songs,
I also give talks in a series I call “My Kind of Music” and have two Christmas programmes, one on the traditional carols but performed in a different style or manner – it might be handbells playing a carol, or a brass band, or a swing group like The Swingle Singers. My other talk takes in music tied in with the Christmas Customs and Traditions – so there is music about Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe, Christmas Trees, Santa Claus, snow etc.
Usually before the end of the Christmas Holidays I am heartily sick of the sound of Carols, but it never fails to surprise me how fresh and new they sound when I start rehearsing them.
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