This year, the village's Carols on the Green event returns to an earlier format of including singing community carols around the christmas tree on the village green. (Optional for choir members.)

This page is about the concert which will precede this.

Membership of the choir is open to any interested singers.

Singing with the choir carries no implication of further committment. This is a self contained project and once done and dusted, that's it. You will be kept informed of other similar projects, but not with an expectation that you will participate.

However, it is hoped that singers who register for this project will attend as many rehearsals as possible.

It is NOT expected that singers will be able to sight read music. The rehearsal schedule (see below) allows good time for learning notes and, for those who want to use them, downloadable rehearsal tracks will be available.

For the concert in St David's

There are nine pieces. Four of them have been sung by the Festival Choir before and five are new. The four pieces sung before are in new arrangements made specially for this concert.

It won't be necessary for singers to download and print the music themselves. Books will be provided.

You can have a look at the music HERE

The music is flexibly arranged. That is: if we get lots of singers, the notes can be performed as written. If fewer singers, less essential parts can be omitted without damaging the overall effect.

It won't be necessary for singers to print the music themselves, books will be provided.

Downloadable Rehearsal Tracks

Update 11 Nov: for each piece, a Performance track has been added. This consists of the Essential part set in the framework of the whole piece with the introduction and all repeats and interludes. Familiarity with these will save you having to fret about repeats, first and second time bars etc. For pieces with several verses, we shall vary who sings what for the sake of variety, but these new tracks give an overall impression of the basic structure.

These tracks are in mp3 format. This means that they can be downloaded and stored on 99.9% of phones, tablets, computers etc, etc, and listened to at any time convenient to you.

Essential:
This is the main melody. If anyone is new to choral singing they can just learn this part. It is set at a pitch without very high or very low notes.

Optional (1):
This is a part for singers who want to sing some harmony. It is of the same general range as the Essential part.

Optional 2:
Some sopranos confident with high notes might come along. This part is for them.

Men:
This is a generic tenor/bass part. That is to say, it is without very high or very low notes.

In Bethlehem City

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

Ding, Dong, Merrily on High

• Essential
• Optional 1
• Optional 2
• Men
• Performance

Do You See What I See?

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

O Holy Night

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

The Little Drummer Boy

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

Mary's Boy Child

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

Masters In This Hall

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

Shepherds in the Field Abiding

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

What Child is This?

• Essential
• Optional
• Men
• Performance

Rehearsals will be held on these days at these times in St David's. If requested, extra rehearsal time can be made available.

The first three rehearsals will be note-learning sessions. If you don't read music, it is at these rehearsals that the basic notes will be learnt. If you can read music, it's not essential that you come to these rehearsals. (But if you are able to come - your presence will help the note-learning of others.)

1. Sunday 5 Nov: 3.00 - 5.00 pm
2. Sunday 12 Nov: 3.00 - 5.00 pm
3. Sunday 19 Nov: 3.00 - 5.00 pm

During these next two rehearsals, raw notes will be turned into music. If you are able to read music, this would be a good time to come along.

4. Sunday 26 Nov: 3.00 - 5.00 pm
5. WEDNESDAY 6 Dec: 7.00 - 9.00 pm

At this last full rehearsal we will be going through everything. As far as possible, we need everyone present.

6. Sunday 10 Dec 3.00 - 5.00 pm

A final top-and-tail session.

7. TUESDAY 12 Dec 6.00 - 6.30pm

The rehearsals are being divided into tiers.

• TIER 1:
  If you like to really know a piece well and sing through it many times, rehearsals 1 - 7.
• TIER 2:
  If you read music and need just a few runs-through, rehearsals 4 - 7.
• TIER 3:
  If you are a good sight reader, 6 - 7.

None of the music is fierce and there are lots great, singable melodies on the programme.

Nothing - it's all free. HOWEVER, if you don't want to rehearse in a cold, dark church, electricity has to be consumed, and music has to be produced. We will have a collection amongst choristers (either by cash or BACS) to cover the production and running costs of the concert.

There is no actual last date - we can accept new singers right up to 6.00 pm on the day (as long as they know the notes).

Check the rehearsal schedule and choose the tier which suits you best.