Christmas Concert

This term we have our Christmas concert on Saturday 13th December 2025
Rehearsals started on Monday, 15th September 2025 but there is still time to join in.
There will be an additional rehearsal on Thursday, 11th December 2025.
Rehearsals run from 7.30pm till 9.30pm. 

Please do not attend rehearsals if you feel unwell.

The programme is as follows:
 

George Malcolm - Missa ad Praesepe, A little Crib Mass

Bach - Sleepers Wake, with bass and soprano solos

Holst  - Christmas Day 

Morten Lauridsen -  Sure on this shining night 

Percy E Fletcher - Ring out wild bells

Jonathon Willcocks - Infant Holy

Eric Whitacre  - Glow 

Berlioz - Shepherds farewell

Caccini  - Ave Maria

Hodie Christus Natus est - Healey Willan for Choir & soloists

And of course some other bits and pieces and audience carols!!

 

Rehearsal Schedule

Weeks 1 and 2 (Sept 15 and 22)

Sleepers Wake - Chorale 

Malcolm - Kyrie & Sanctus

Whitacre - Glow up to bar 20 & 33 to end. 

 

Weeks 3 (Sept 29)

Malcolm - Revised Sanctus, learned Benedictus

Whitacre - Glow finished
Lauridsen - Learned bars 1 to 41
 

Weeks 4 (Oct 6)

Malcolm - Revised Kyrie, Sanctus, Benedictus and started learning Agnus Dei

Whitacre - Revised Glow
 

Next Week - Week 5 (Oct 13)

Malcolm - Finish Agnus Dei and Gloria
Bach - Sleepers Wake Cantata
Lauridsen - Revise to bar 41 then learn to end

Suggested Recordings:
Whitacre - Glow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MwDDK3jodw&list=RD3MwDDK3jodw&start_radio=1

Lauridsen - Sure on this shinging night
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Yoz6-l2Rc&list=RDV4Yoz6-l2Rc&start_radio=1

Malcolm - Missa Ad Praesepe
Kyrie - https://youtu.be/bzSW5FCYGS4?si=nqrrci8lh5C-2cMY
Gloria - https://youtu.be/D_ls-BDSBGY
Ignore the exciting organ intro. Start at 1minute in.
Sanctus - https://youtu.be/8_K2zUKVLcw
Benedictus - https://youtu.be/1JXigU5LbCE
Agnus Dei - https://youtu.be/mXUwQ882aZQ

Bach - Sleepers Wake
https://youtu.be/DqZE54i-muE

This is not easy! It’s prob the best recording but it’s in German & our music is in English!!
Cantata - beginning
Chorale men - 15:10
Final Chorale - 26:40

Most pieces are available on youtube.See below for how to run the youtube videos at slower speed.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions are £45 per term and are due now if you didn't pay for the whole year last term. Please pay by bank transfer if possible, otherwise by cheque or cash to Jo, our Membership Secretary. 
 
Bank details: 
Account name:            Marlborough Choral Society
Bank:                           Lloyds Bank
Account number:        38663062
Sort code:                    30-99-50

If you are a tax payer, please consider completing a Gift Aid form (available from Jo).

Raise money for Marlborough Choral Society when you shop online.

 

Concert details

These are general details for our concerts.

The Saturday rehearsal usually runs from 2pm till 4pm. PLEASE BE IN YOUR SEATS and ready to sing by 2pm.

The concert starts at 7.30 but all choristers should arrive by 7.10p.m. It is a good idea to warm up on your way.

1. There will be boxes at the back of the church in which to place all your borrowed music after the concert. Please do not take any home with you. If for any reason you do not return your music on or before the night of the concert, it is important that you get in touch with Beverley at beverley.lyle@gmail.com  to arrange its return. Late return of hired music incurs large fines for MCS.

2. Dress code: Men: Dinner suits, bow tie, white shirt, black shoes. Ladies: Long black skirt or trousers, black shirt/blouse (no jumpers) and MCS scarf. You can buy or borrow a scarf from Jane Scott.

3. HELP. We usually meet around 1.00pm in the church to set up.

4. There will be refreshments (red and white wine, soft drinks ) in the interval.

5. There will be a retiring collection for a local charity.

6. You will be told where to sit for the concert and your name will be on the allotted seat.

Useful resources

Cyberbass and Other Learning Sites 

www.cyberbass.com provides a really useful resource. For a large number of works you can listen (for free) to the choral parts played with your part emphasised.

Other sites include:
Choralia - https://www.choralia.net/
Learn Choral Music - https://www.learnchoralmusic.co.uk/

Concert Music on the Naxos Music Library

If you a member of Wiltshire libraries then you have free access to the Naxos Music Library - an online resource of many, many thousand CDs! There are almost certainly recordings available of pieces in our next concert to listen to online.
 
Access is simple:  
Go to http://wiltshire.naxosmusiclibrary.com/page.library_cardno.asp
Enter your library card number without the spaces - 9 999999 001 becomes 9999999001
Once logged on you can search for whatever takes your fancy

Concert Music on Spotify

If you aren't a member of Wiltshire Library then you could try http://www.spotify.com/ which provides free streaming of all sorts of music - you have the odd short advert but probably less than on commercial radio.

Once you've signed up and installed the client you can access all sorts of content.

If you do install the client I'd suggest you look at your Windows firewall settings. Access these via 'Control Panel', 'Windows Firewall', then open the exceptions tab and unclick the selection next to Spotify. That will stop Spotify accepting incoming network connections.
 

Youtube

A useful tip when using Youtube:

If you would like to listen to the piece at a slower pace it is possible to slow down a  youtube video without changing the pitch. 
Go to settings at the bottom right (hover over the bottom right of the picture if you can't see it, settings is the cog in the middle). Click on settings and you will see an option called playback speed. It does sound a bit odd on the longer notes but is helpful although I wouldn't recommend going below 0.75 speed.