Spotlight on … St Mary’s Robed Choir at Christmas

By Mick Perrier

A growing number of Trebles has continued to benefit from the spiritual, musical and social nurture the Choir has offered to our young people for many years. Some five new youngsters have joined since the summer, when existing choristers experienced providing the music for services in Bristol and Exeter Cathedrals. Their contribution was recognised in generous follow-up communications.

Christmas is a very special time for the Choir. They receive many repeat invitations to help support other organisations in their Christmas Celebrations and have taken the Christian message far and wide into the community over the Christmas period. The various events have all been by invitation:

This year, for what must be the 20th year, the international accountancy firm KPMG invited the choir to perform for their corporate cocktail party in the ICC. Originally the Choir used to perform on the staircase as guests entered the Hall. For the past seven or eight years, however, KPMG have placed us on the stage as a main attraction. Standing to sing for two stints of an hour is always a test of stamina for any chorister, whatever their age.
Another 20th anniversary occasion was singing at Victoria Hall in Leamington for a major Christmas Dinner. The organiser told us that it had become a game among regular attenders to spot which of the each previous year’s Trebles had next year joined the Adult ranks of the Choir.
Kings Heath Lodge again asked us to perform at two separate functions on the same night.
A first invitation last year shows sign of becoming a regular fixture: singing for the Carol Service of the West Midlands Federation of Women’s Institutes at St Martin’s in the Bull Ring. Again this year the Lord Mayor was present and the assembled multitude sang lustily in the congregational items. Comments after the service were extremely heart-warming.
The last of our long-term engagements was at Severn Street in Birmingham, where a Yorkshire-based group each year insist that, in addition to carols, we lead them in a rousing rendition of “On Ilkley Moor B’aht’at” — makes a change from the usual repertoire!

A special new invitation was this year received from the Birmingham Post and Mail to sing alongside Kimberley Southwick, a finalist from ITV’s “X-Factor”, in a big charity Carol Concert at the Pallasades Shopping Centre in Birmingham. The Post and Mail were so enthusiastic after the event they have asked us to be available again next year!

In helping lead regular worship within St Mary’s the Choir has experienced the whole gamut of Christmas services including Festival of Lessons and Carols, Christingle, Midnight Mass and Christmas Day Eucharist. They also participated in the Children’s Christmas presentation. This has given them a rounded education in the varied liturgies of the Church and the needs of our various congregations. Attached below is a report by Daisy Lloyd on her experiences this Christmas. Early in January the Choristers had a welcome social reward for their many efforts by way of a cinema visit and a pizza tea generously provided by the Friends of St. Mary’s Choirs and Music.

Finally, it has been encouraging to hear that another former chorister, Jonathan Coore, has taken holy orders this year and is now working as a priest in the Hereford Diocese. The early nurture of choristers in matters of faith and liturgy has once again borne fruit.

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