On Monday 15 December, we returned to Cadogan Hall to celebrate Christmas with our friends from London City Brass, Philip Scriven, David Hill, Matthew Green and Keith Price. It’s important to note that we were also joined by a fantastic ensemble of singers – you, our audience!
We sang a huge variety of carols and pieces ranging from classic carols like Hark! The Herald Angels Sing to jazzy numbers like Let It Snow, right through to modern classics including Rutter’s Star Carol and Chilcott’s The Shepherd’s Carol. It’s hard to imagine a more festive time.
We were also treated to two world premieres from the winners of the Sir David Willcocks Carol Competition 2025. It was a joy to hear these new works and see the elation (and relief) on the faces of their composers as they were invited on stage afterwards to bask in the glow of these fantastic pieces, which were selected as winners by David Hill MBE, Sir John Rutter, Errollyn Wallen, Joanna Marsh and Jonathan Willcocks.
First up was Arthur Togneri, whose carol The Winds of Winter won the 17-and-under section of the competition. His work is a modern and atmospheric carol all about the chill and stillness of winter. In Arthur’s own words:
“The Winds of Winter is all about the chill and stillness of winter but with a wish for summer to come soon. I open the piece with gentle, simple writing to evoke the cold of winter, but still with moments of brightness at the words ‘moonbeams glitter’, where I have the organ sparkling in the higher register. As the text turns to ‘thoughts of summer still’, the music gradually slows, ending with a final unresolved chord. The lingering harmony shows the feeling of longing for summer — a warmth that remains distant, just out of reach.”
David Hill and Jonathan Willcocks joined Arthur on stage, and the audience were certainly by his side as they showed their appreciation after the performance and after Arthur wonderfully described the piece on stage.
Next up was Ian Crawford, whose carol Adam lay ybounden won in the 18-and-over category. His work is a setting of the well-known 15th-century text which relates to the events of the Book of Genesis. The piece reflects the journey of the text it’s based on, which moves from anger and incredulity at its opening through to joy and delight at its conclusion. It was hugely enjoyed by the Choir, the audience, David Hill and Jonathan Willcocks, who chatted with Ian on stage to find out more about this work which juggles time signatures and a huge array of moods, yet still comes out feeling like a unified whole.
These two carols showcased everything that we’ve grown to love about our Carol Competition – both pieces are hugely different in style and content, but they were both equally loved by our audiences. We can’t wait to see what’s next for these exciting composers!
After a brief interval, the adventure continued as we sang works by Rutter, Willcocks and even a jazzy Let It Snow. London City Brass and Philip Scriven were also given their chance to shine in a number of solo works before we all joined together in song again for Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and The Twelve Days of Christmas.
We then ended the evening with We Wish You a Merry Christmas, which the Choir sing without a score – that’s one of many special traditions at this concert. We can’t wait until the next carol concert comes around, but we’ve got some very exciting celebrations for our 150th anniversary in the meantime! You can find out all about our next concerts here.