Fanfare for Christmas
Fanfare for Christmas
Despite the bitterly cold weather, we had a fantastic turn out for our annual Christmas concert at Birmingham Town Hall on Sunday 11th December 2022.
We were delighted to perform again with Midlands Hospitals Choir in support of Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity.
This year we were also joined by guest artists:
Gemini Brass
Edgbaston High School Young Musician of the Year, Zoha Sohail on Flute
Jody Smith on Violin
Charles Matthews on the Town Hall organ
in a spectacular programme of music for brass, choir and organ.
The programme included several popular carols, with the audience joining in enthusiastically.
The audience were treated to a performance by Zoha Sohail on flute, as well as two sets featuring the Gemini Brass Ensemble.
As is tradition, we sang two candlelight carols, Silent Night and Sans Day Carol, in acknowledgement of Florence Nightingale and her tireless work during the Crimean War. Also by candlelight we performed a special version of Kurt Bestor's Prayer of the Children, with some of the words spoken by children.
We closed the first half of the concert with Sing! by David Willcocks sung to the accompaniment of Widor's Toccata on the organ.
The second half of the concert started with a musical dedication to the life and work of her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Starting with a stirring rendition of Crown Imperial by Gemini Brass and Charles Matthews on the magnificent organ, and followed by two pieces from the choirs - The Grace of Her Hand, a piece composed by Liz Dilnot Johnson for the Platinum Jubilee, and The Souls of the Righteous by Geraint Lewis.
In another tradition, the choirs donned their Christmas hats to close the concert with some more light-hearted pieces, The 12 Days after Christmas, Nutcracker Jingles and Various Themes on "Fa-La-La".
