SHREWSBURY CANTATA CHOIR
Carol Singing
Carol Singing
The choir very much enjoys carol singing engagements.
Illustrated are typical examples. Please contact us if you would like us to sing.
Following our delightful visit to Headway (Oxon Business Park) on Sat 25th Nov 23 we have been invited back.
Monday 2nd December 2024
Join us at Headway Shropshire’s Christmas Fair, where the spirit of the season shines brighter than ever.
Cantata will be singing Carols from 3.30pm to 6.15pm.
2022
21st December. Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.
The choir sang carols in the Restaurant.
2019
Battlefield1403 Farm Shop sponsored Shrewsbury Cantata Choir for many years.
In return we have very much enjoyed our carol singing visits.
2016
Battlefield01403 Farm Shop 26.11.2016 On Saturday 26th November, a generous number of Cantata singers, including some very new members, responded to the annual request to sing carols at the Farm Shop and Battlefield Exhibition Centre in Shrewsbury; this year it coincided with their ‘Taster Day’ We performed, under the outside gazebo, in two sessions, starting at 11 am with a coffee break before a very nice snack lunch provided by our hosts, followed by an afternoon session finishing at 3pm. The day was brilliantly directed by the estimable Gill Berry, who worked miracles with a complete rabble! Seriously though, the day was, despite being very tiring, a great success and we had excellent feedback from the series of small audiences throughout the day. We were even joined by some small children, especially Seth, who sang lustily and put a real gloss on the day. Our thanks go to everyone who, in various ways, made the day possible. We have received a very nice letter of appreciation from our hosts, who have been generous in their sponsorship for several years now. Here’s to next year! Tony Pomatto (bass)
2015
We enjoyed singing Christmas carols at three different venues in November and December 2015. All sessions were organised by choir members and conducted by Gill Berry (alto).
Battlefield1403: On the evening of 19 November, we opened our carol season by singing two sets of traditional carols a cappella to an appreciative, if rather transient, audience in the café at Battlefield1403 – the choir sponsor – where a food-tasting session was also in full swing. The carols had stiff competition from Father Christmas, who was upstairs handing out Christmas cheer to all small visitors. Our carol singing very much added to the festive atmosphere that evening.
Garden Centre: It was almost a month until we gathered for the next carol assignment on 12 December at the new Percy Thrower’s Garden Centre. We set up keyboard and all other essential equipment, including our bedecked and tinsel-decorated collecting buckets, in the area known as the Greenhouse, right opposite the busy café.
It was a good place to attract an again rather transient audience into giving donations – we were collecting for Shrewsbury Food Bank. The carols seemed to go down as well as the lunches at the café: in fact the diners were the most generous donors during our two-hour session. We didn’t sing non-stop, as Gill had chosen four sets of carols with breaks in between. It worked perfectly, with the able accompaniment of Sue Sheppard (alto) on keyboard. With The addition of Gift Aid, we raised a total of £160.30 for a very good cause.
Hospice: Our last carol session of the year was on 15 December at the Shrewsbury Severn Hospice, where we have sung for the past several years. This event was once again organised by Tony Pomatto (bass), who also sang The Christmas Song as a solo. Star attraction that afternoon, however, was Mary Fudge (soprano) with her unexpected, dramatic recitation of Shakespeare’s “When Icicles Hang by the Wall” from Love’s Labour’s Lost. Singing at the hospice is very popular with the choir: the underlying sombre mood of the singers was, as always, dispelled by our heartfelt desire to bring some traditional Christmas comfort to very ill patients and their dedicated staff. We hope we succeeded in our aim this year and we look forward to a return visit next year. Nicola Pacult (alto)
2014
Severn Hospice , Morris Care Home, Radbrook.On 16th December 2014, we took along our largest ever group of singers for what has become an annual mini-concert of carols and seasonal songs in the Day Centre at Severn Hospice, Bicton Heath. Altogether we had about two dozen voices. On this occasion, we had also arranged to sing at Morris Care Home on Radbrook Green in the afternoon to replace Briarfields Care Home, which had booked a pantomime – no contest! We began at the Hospice, with a selection of popular carols and some more complex ones which had been well received in past years. There was a good audience, some of whom had struggled in especially for it. I sang ‘The Christmas Song’ again and this time we had a special treat when Sally sang a lovely arrangement of ‘Silent Night’, accompanying herself on the guitar. Catrina delighted us by being able to play piano in both sessions. At the ‘break’, we repaired once more to The Red Barn, where Theresa, the landlady, had taken advance orders to save everyone’s time. Considering the numbers, it worked very well. In the afternoon, we took ourselves off to Radbrook, where we sang in the upstairs lounge which housed the piano; this involved a goodly number having to sing in the doorway/corridor (including a couple of residents, who were happy to mingle with the singers). After repeating the morning programme, several choristers stayed and chatted with residents and we must have made a favourable impression as we have been invited to return. Heartfelt thanks to everybody who helped to make it another great day-out. The gathering over lunch was again enjoyable and has become a vital part of the event. We all look forward to the next time. Tony Pomatto (bass)
2013
Briarfields and Severn HospiceFor the third consecutive year, a group of around twenty singers from Cantata Choir gave a Christmas concert, first at Briarfields Care Home, arranged by the late Eileen Lewis, then on to Severn Hospice, Bicton, arranged by Tony Pomatto. The accompanist at Briarfields was Catrina Lapage and Sue Sheppard kindly took over at Briarfields. Both performances were 'compèred' most ably by the inimitable Lizzie Grocott-James. The list of carols was compiled from the 'green' book (Carols for Choirs 1) by Eileen and, during a short interval, Tony gave a rendering of 'The Christmas Song' by Mel Tormé. Between sessions, we all took lunch at the Red Barn, Longden Road; this has become a useful opportunity for a good proportion of the choir to come together socially, but it would be prudent to give them better advance notice for December 2014, year as the number of singers keeps increasing. As usual, we were well received at both venues and the music was just right. A good number of residents joined in the singing at the morning session in Briarfields, as did some of the Day-Centre members at The Hospice, where one lady produced a battered copy of the green book and has agreed, God willing, to join the altos next time. The rendering of Berlioz's 'Shepherds' Farewell went down particularly well, especially at The Hospice, where the choir sang with extra emotion. One gentleman, clearly an experienced listener, was particularly fond of the Berlioz. It was good to swap the performances, as many of us would have struggled to sing if the Briarfields session had followed the visit to The Hospice, as has happened in the past. We all find this annual occasion particularly moving and, yet again, we were reminded just how fortunate most of us are. A lovely way to start Christmas! Tony Pomatto (bass)
2012
Severn Hospice and BriarfieldsOn 20 December 2012 stalwarts of the Choir spent the day carol singing and eating mince pies.In the morning we sang at the Severn Hospice Day Centre, Shrewsbury, where we also had the opportunity to chat to patients over the mince pies and mulled wine. One lady had her own copy of Carols for Choirs 1 with her and followed each carol, while others were singing along silently or simply listening. Several of us fell in love with a beautiful Labrador retriever who was in training as helper to one of the patients. It was a very special atmosphere.
After a convivial lunch together at the Red Barn, we reconvened at Briarfields Care Home for more carols, once more including a well-received solo performance from one of our basses – good stuff Tony! Afterwards, we enjoyed mince pies, sherry, home-made sweets and a chat with the residents.It was a successful day in every way, one that gave us much pleasure – maybe in some cases tinged with sadness – and that we hope gave pleasure to our audience. We are already looking forward to singing more carols next Christmas.
Battlefield 1403
On 6 December 2012, members of Cantata Choir, led by our deputy director, Anthony Dowlen, sang a selection of carols in the café restaurant at Battlefield1403 open evening. The Choir stood on the stairs and balcony and Anthony directed us from the keyboard below. It was a very lively occasion, with throngs of shoppers and families enjoying festive fare while listening to the carols. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and were treated to mulled wine and mince pies in the interval.
