After last year's wonderful event, everyone wanted us to do it again! 

Mark the Christmas Season in the Gothic Cathedral splendour of the Landmark Arts Centre in a family celebration programme of innovative and traditional music. Surrey Brass, Wessex Chamber Choir, Chertsey Children's Chorus join together for a special festive event lit by candlelight that everyone will enjoy. 

The programme will be presented by Mike Burnside, 
who will also give seasonal readings.  
Mike has been an actor/director for well over thirty years and credits include seasons at the Royal National Theatre (The Madness of George III) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (The Tempest, Spring Awakening and A Midsummer Nights Dream) among many others. Television credits include: Commissioner Hicks in 'The Bill' (nine years), 'East Enders', 'Family Affairs', 'The House that Jack Built', and most recently 'The Alan Clarke Diaries'. Recent Films include 'Welcome to Ibiza', 'Silent Cry', 'The Plague', and 'Charlotte Grey'. Radio credits include numerous voice-overs on Independent radio and 'Daughters of Britannia' for Radio 4.

Wessex Chamber Choir are one of the premier choirs in the region and Surrey Brass are delighted to have the opportunity to perform with them. Like Surrey Brass, The Wessex Chamber Choir is a member of Making Music, which supports music groups all  over the country.

Surrey Brass have rapidly developed a keen audience following numerous local events since their formation including Golden Jubilee Fanfare contest, airplay on BBC Southern Counties Radio, and appearances at RHC Wisley backing Alan Price and The Bootleg Beatles. 

Christmas Cheer will feature your favourite Christmas Music plus some pleasant new surprises. Everyone is encouraged to join in the singing of Carols.

Read what the audience said about last years concert!

Programme

1.         Audience & Choirs   Once in Royal David's City 
2.         Brass                          Prelude & Fugue
3.         Children's Choir       Hurry Hurry  and  Hi Dom
4.         Reading                    Diary of a Church Mouse - John Betjeman
5.         Wessex Choir           O' Little town of Bethlehem - arr. Rutti
6.         Audience Carol        God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
7.         Brass                           Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire
8.         Wessex Choir            I Wonder as I Wander - Rutti
9.         Audience Carol        It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

INTERVAL

10.      Audience Carol       'O come all Ye Faithful'
11.       Brass                          Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy & Trepak
12.       Children's Choir        Drummers Carol with light brass
13.       Reading                    Love Labour's Lost - William Shakespeare
14.       Audience Carol       The First Noel
15.       Brass & Organ         O' Come Emanuel
16.       Wessex Choir          Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day - Rutti
17.       Brass                          Festive Cheer
18.       Reading                    A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
19.       Audience Carol        Hark the Herald Angels Sing

Tickets

Please contact the Landmark Box Office - 020 8977 7558

Venue Information

Landmark Arts Centre has excellent facilities for the disabled, including easy wheelchair access, toilet and parking facilities. Please contact the venue on 020 8977 7558 at landmarkinfo@aol.com for more information.

The Landmark Arts Centre is housed in the former church of St. Albans at Teddington Lock, a magnificent French Gothic style building of cathedral proportions and acoustics. It was deconsecrated in the 1970's and is now a successful location for a range of artistic and cultural events. The centre has been used by the BBC, Channel 4 and Elizabeth Films.

Map, Directions, Public Transport       

Click the button for Train information.  Rail: Frequent service Waterloo-Teddington 27 minutes. Tube: Richmond, then Bus R68  Click the button for Bus information.  Bus: R68, 281, 285, N9

Parking

Free parking is available on the streets surrounding the Landmark. 
There is no parking on site.

Reviews

'Carols by Candlelight' was a delight from beginning to end - with such an eclectic mix of Christmas music, you surely couldn't fail to titillate all tastes.

The musical highlights for me: 

• St Anne's Choir - 'Drummer's Carol' 
• Wessex Chamber Choir - 'A Spotless Rose' 
• Surrey Brass - Torme and Wells' 'Christmas Song'. 

For years the latter has been my favourite secular seasonal song and so it was with a degree of trepidation that I started to listen to John Hughes' arrangement, lest he should have spoilt it for me! But I wasn't disappointed - it was an arrangement full of surprises, with solo parts, close harmonies and little infiltrations from the likes of King Wenceslas and Jingle Bells and even, I believe I perceived, a little bacchanalian revelry from Stravinsky's 'Petrouchka'?

However, at the end of the evening, a further surprise awaited me - the encore proved to be my highlight of highlights. Simon Willis' 'Prelude and Fugue for Christmas' was brilliantly clever, performed with both sensitivity and exuberance, where each was demanded. Well played, Surrey Brass!

The visual highlights: 

• The eager faces of the children of St Anne's Choir 

• The amused reaction of boys near me to the clip-clopping and whinnying of the horse in Leroy Anderson's 'Sleigh Ride' (part of 'Festive Cheer') 

• Robin Smith's enthusiastic conducting of us, the audience, as he sought to encourage us to raise our voices!

With my copy of 'Christmas Crackers' I am already resavouring the delights of last night as well as discovering the other festive treats recorded by Surrey Brass. I hope it sells well for you - I'm sure it'll certainly prove to be as much a part of our Christmas pleasures as the turkey and trimmings!

Happy Christmas and many thanks,

Angela Boarer

Read previous reviews or send your own review of this concert for inclusion here!

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