Christmas Concert, 7th December 2024

Saturday 7th December at St John the Baptist Church in Risca Road, Newport.
The choir was accompanied by harp and by Hafren Brass Quintet.

The concert included a selection of Christmas motets and anthems by Gabrieli, Palestrina and Praetorius, solo and group performances by Hafren Brass and also some more light-hearted favourites.

Thanks are due to soloists who stepped forward from the choir to sing and to Marian, our harpist. Christmas works by John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Philip Stopford and other modern composers were also included. Here is the full programme:

• Giavanni Gabrieli (1557-1612)           –             O Magnum Mysterium
• Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)        –             Geborn ist der Emanuel
• Piotr Tschaikovsky (1840-1893)         –             Kheruvimskaya Pesn (Cherubim Song)
• G.P. Palestrina (1525-1594)               –             Two Motets: 1) Canite Tuba 2) Rorate Coeli
• Michael Praetorius                            –             In Dulci Jubilo
• French trad.                                        –             Masters in this Hall, (arr. David Willcocks)
• Karl Leuner (composed 1817)           –             The Shepherds’ Cradle Song, (arr. Charles MacPherson)
• John Carter (b.1930)                          –             In Time of Softest Snow
• James Pierpont (1822-1893)             –             Jingle Bells (arr. David Willcocks)
• Bob Chilcott (b.1955)                        –             On Christmas Night
• John Rutter (b.1945)                         –             Jesus Child
• Bob Chilcott                                      –             Mid-Winter
• Philip Stopford (b.1977)                    –             A Christmas Blessing