Edington Priory Church is the venue for an Advent Concert by the choir of Merton College Oxford on Saturday 12th December, starting at 7.30pm.
This “exceptional, fascinating and stylish” mixed voice choir, directed by Benjamin Nicholas, director of music at Merton (and artistic director of the Edington Music Festival), and some of the loveliest Advent and Christmas music written over several centuries is a recipe for a wonderful evening in the lead up to Christmas. The choir is due to sing the same programme at St John Smith Square in London a few days later.
The first half will make the journey from plainchant, through Byrd and Bach, to the present day with Dubra, Esenwalds and Matthew Martin.
After the interval, when seasonal refreshments will be available, the choir will perform movements from Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, traditional carols by Robert Pearsall and Adolphe Adam, and recent carols by Bob Chilcott (one of which was commissioned for the Merton Choirbook), and Matthew Martin.
The choir consists of 30 undergraduates and post-graduates, many of whom hold choral scholarships at Merton College. They have toured the USA, France and Sweden, taken part in a number of prestigious music festivals, broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC TV, and released four CDs, all of which have received glowing reviews.
Tickets are £20 front/15 rear/10 sides (+£2 if bought on the night), with 18s and under coming FREE, from 01380 831256 or 01380 871549, or email music@edingtonarts.org Full programme information is on the website, www.edingtonarts.org
