The Carol Service took place in Blackburn Cathedral on Friday the 21st of December where the school choir (including staff) were also accompanied by the Nelson Civic Ladies Choir and Vocalise Community Choir.
The school choir had been preparing for this performance since October, as well as singing the traditional seasonal carols they also performed three alternative pieces. ‘A La Nanita’, a gentle Spanish Christmas lullaby was the first of the first of these to be performed, and was wonderfully accompanied on guitar by Miss Murphy and the Cathedral organist Mr Turnbull.
The next piece, composed by Mr Garrett was called ‘The Gift’, and was written with the intention to help focus on the true meaning of Love, not only at Christmas, but at all times.
William Gedling performed a superb guitar solo of ‘Silent Night’ and was joined by soloist, Lea Robinson, and the choir. ‘Silent Night’ was first performed on guitar 200 years ago. Franz Gruber who composed this timeless melody had written the piece for organ accompaniment but on the eve of the first performance, mice in the church destroyed some of the organ pipes which is why it was performed on the guitar.
The choir then carolled ‘O Holy Night’, and were joined by Miss Cockshott, Sebastian Roberts, Mr Garrett and Jake Horler Newsham (professional Tenor from the Royal Northern College of Music and former pupil of Mr Garrett). The quartet sang the chorus of this Christmas classic by Adolphe Adams.
The choir concluded with a rousing setting of the ‘Gloria”, written by Carole Stephens, which was a wonderful finale to the service.