Christmas 2012
Christmas 2012 was a busy time for the choir as we are engaged to sing at three different events...
Tuesday 4th December; Royal Square, St. Helier; The Shelter Trust for the Homeless Annual Soup Kitchen
Saturday 15th December 2012; The choir sang in 16 New Street-
Festival of Carols 2012: Wednesday, December 19th
The Festival of Carols was once again a great success with people arriving an hour before the start to be sure of a good view.
Reproduced below is a letter of thanks from our President, Philip Le Brocq, which was published in the Jersey Evening Post on 2nd January 2013
"Last Wednesday, December 19th, marked what many in the Island feel to be the beginning of Christmas. It was the annual Festival of Carols at St Thomas’ Church. It was one of those traditional events with a spicy modern flavour which delighted the 700 or so members of the faithful audience who braved wind and rain to be there. Not only were they amazed and delighted by the varied and seasonal fare, but Victim Support, the Charity selected for this year’s collection, was equally uplifted by their generosity -
From the opening treble solo from the organ loft sung beautifully by young Joshua Shea, from Victoria College Prep to the massed Choirs, Organ, and St Cecilia Orchestra conducted by Jonathan Pollard, to the performance of Minuit Chrétiens, we were all enthralled. This was not yet another carol concert but a meaningful musical
Journey preparing us for Christmas itself. The applause which had been building up for 55 minutes was finally released and echoed repeatedly around the superbly lit and decorated vaults of this great musical and spiritual venue. Orchestra players, choir members and audience shared n many tears of sheer joy and what had been achieved.
The hosting Jersey Festival Choir were in fine harmonious and varied voice , with Elizabeth Farnon’s subtle selection of carols allowing explosive joy in the opening “Make we joy now in the fest” to be tempered by the lilting notes of Kenneth Leighton’s “Lulla, Lulla thou little tiny childe”. This was enhanced by the soaring and searing soprano voice of the soloist, Vivienne Hassell. The Holmchase singers, conducted by Angela Luce, were as usual, the most accomplished of the musical performers. Their version of “A Chrismas Blessing” by Philip Stopford was one of four brilliant jewels in the musical mosaic of the evening.
“Acapella Brass” entertained us before the service, but also kept us in the Christmas spirit with their harmonies from on high in the Organ Loft. Not to be outdone by these breathtaking and lung-
For sheer delight in another variation of a well-
Everyone left the experience deeply moved, and believing in the power of music, especially at Christmas time, to harmonize and heal a world that so often seems broken and past mending.
Warmest thanks are due to Monsignor France for again allowing us to use his superb Church, to all those who worked behind the scenes to make the evening possible, but especially to the audience for coming and joining us in the celebration."
Fanfare -
Introit -
Once in Royal David’s City
V 1 Solo, V 2 Holmchase Singers, V 3 Jersey Festival Choir, V4-
Jersey Festival Choir
Make we joy now in this fest… Malcolm Archer
Shepherd’s Farewell… Berlioz ( from L’enfance du Christ)
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Holmchase Singers 2-
Organ Solo
It came upon a midnight clear
St. Cecilia Orchestra
Jersey Festival Choir
The Virgin Mary had a baby boy (Trad. Spiritual arr. de Cormier)
Lully, Lulla thou little tiny child…. Kenneth Leighton ( soloist-
We Three Kings
Acappella Brass
Jersey Festival Choir
Mary’s Lullaby … John Rutter
Il est ne le divin enfant ( French trad. Arr. Elizabeth Wild)
Good Christian men Rejoice
Holmchase Singers
Minuit Chrétiens with Holmchase Singers, Jersey Festival Choir,
Malcolm Whittell (organ) St. Cecilia Orchestra and Sue de Gruchy (guitar)
Appeal Victim Support
O come all ye faithful
Blessing