On Sunday, December 10th at 3pm, Wye Valley Music will welcome the highly acclaimed Swan Consort to St Briavels Church for our annual Christmas choral concert.

Founded by young British conductor, organ scholar and choral leader Anita Datta, this early music specialist choir was established in 2018 and since then, has built up a national and international profile, including appearances at the Brighton Early Music Festival, the London Festival of Contemporary Church Music, the Festival Internacional de Música Vocal and The Royal Opera House, Mumbai. The group’s main repertoire draws together forgotten gems from the European Renaissance with new works from the present day. For our concert, they are putting together a celebratory programme of 15th and 16th century festive music: some of it sacred, some secular, some familiar, some long forgotten, all of it tracing the history of the Christmas carol in Britain. We are excited that they will be joined by lutenist Jacob Heringman. BBC R3 said of Jacob’s playing “He’s master of the style and his instruments. . . . highly assured and stylish” — Record Review, BBC Radio 3

Jacket has worked extensively with the Taverner Consort and the Monteverdi Choir among others, as well as collaborating with leading soloists including Emma Kirkby and Michael Chance.

Highlights of the concert will include Nowel Sing We; There is No Rose of Swch Virtu; Deo Gracias Anglia – Trinity Carol Roll and Seldon Manuscripts, 15thC, Pastyme With Good Companye and Green Growth The Holly – both attr. Henry VIII; Vigilate; O Magnum Mysterium; Lullaby – William Byrd; The Furry Day Song; Go Your Way Greenleaves – Cornish Traditional Carols; The Salutation Carol; Angelus ad Virginem – English Traditional Carols.

Book now for what is always a sold-out Christmas concert and start the countdown to Christmas with Wye Valley Music on Sunday 10th December, 3:00pm, at St Briavels Church.

Tickets are £18 (£15 for WVM members and £5 for students 25 and under). A printed programme is included in the ticket price. To buy tickets, visit our website https://www.wyevalleymusic.org.uk and follow the links. If you have any difficulty booking, please leave a message on our help line 01291 330020.