A Carol Service Full of Music, Meaning, and Celebration

The RGS Carol Service is always a highlight of the annual School calendar, but this year proved particularly special with a full Cathedral and a selection of poignant choir carols paired with the traditional congregational carols, readings and prayers, all led by the Revd Canon John Paul Hoskins and nearly 200 RGS singers.

The Service opened with the Chamber Choir singing a touching lullaby called ‘I Saw a Maiden’, then the famous ‘Once In Royal David’s City’ solo was sung beautifully by Year Eight pupil Hannes Farmer. Junior Chamber Choir made their first public solo performance in the service with a delicate Bob Chilcott song called ‘The Lily and the Rose’, with Junior Choir singing the more well-known ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ under the conducting of Ms Berry, whose choral and conducting skill, and company, we have all greatly benefitted from this term.

Senior Choir sang in Spanish for the first time in years with the Renaissance Carol ‘Riu Riu Chiu’, and we all thank Upper Sixth student Annabelle Howarth for helping with the tricky pronunciation. Senior Choir’s other solo piece – ‘Jesus Child’ by John Rutter – told the Christmas story with a bouncy verve, then a mass choir of both Junior and Senior Choirs sang Chilcott’s ‘Midwinter’ with Sasha Penlington, Lower Sixth, accompanying on the piano.

The Chamber Choir’s two solo items in the main Service were moving. James MacMillian’s ‘O Radiant Dawn’ offered an epic wall of sound from the raised choir seating before the final choir item – Jonathan Dove’s ‘The Three Kings’ – saw the Chamber Choir move to the front and sing with a palpable passion and power. This particular carol is very dear to me, being at the very top of my ‘bucket list’ of carols to choose for a Carol Service. Its 22 pages of unaccompanied choir music contain many musical twists and turns, with intimately quiet moments contrasting huge chords and fizzing independent lines. I have never been brave enough to choose it for a choir before, so I am personally thankful to this year’s Chamber Choir for tackling it with me and singing it so very beautifully this week.

I would like to offer a personal thanks to each pupil singer, reader, candle-bearer, and, of course, all of the teachers and staff who sang in the choir or helped steward during the evening: thank you for creating a beautiful Carol Service this year which honoured and glorified the true meaning of Christmas.

Mr Jonathan Soman, Director of Music 

We are thrilled to announce that the Carol Service at the Cathedral raised an impressive £1,135 for The Myriad Centre. We have shared the wonderful news with them, and they are absolutely delighted!