The Carol Service
is one of two major services for the choir each year
and, if you were to ask the choir members, probably the
highlight. For myself and, I suspect many others, it
heralds the start of Christmas. This year we had the
added Christmassy feel of a heavy fall of snow. In spite
of that, all but two choristers made it and we still had
a reasonable congregation.
One of the things
that make this service so special is the environment
inside the church. It always looks so atmospheric with
candles everywhere, enhanced this year by a monster
Christmas tree and a large number of smaller trees which
had been part of the festival the previous
weekend.
Meticulously put
together, as usual, by Geoffrey Lockwood, there was the
usual mix of congregational and choir carols,
interspersed with appropriate readings, very much in the
style of Carols
from Kings. All of this was built around
unaccompanied verses sung in unison from the choir from
the carol, This
is the truth sent from above.
In true King’s
style, the service started with the first verse of Once in Royal
David’s City, sung this year by Elizabeth Hodgson.
It was lovely to revisit some old favourites such as Adam lay
ybounden by Boris Ord and the spiky Sir Christémas
by William Mathias. Of the new carols, the choir’s
favourite would have to be a wonderful version of In the Bleak
Midwinter by ex King Singer, Bob Chilcott. We even
had a new composition written specially for us by our
own James Morgan with his chorally challenging setting
of Myn
Lyking. Not everyone’s cup of tea but, like any
difficult new piece, when you get to know it, you begin
to understand and appreciate it.
How many church
choirs in the Wakefield Diocese could do such a
service? We
are particularly fortunate to have such a resource with
people who have the skill and dedication to make it
happen. This extends beyond the choir, to all those who
have made, and continue to make, things happen at Christ
Church; whether it be flower arranging, putting on
meals, Junior Church, looking after the church building,
the Music Group, not to mention Sean and the ordained
ministers and lay readers… The list goes on. We have a
formidable team and should be thankful for it, and to be
part of it.
