A brass band, a ballet dancer and a whole host of choirs!

I have been two concerts in two days. Though very different they had one thing in common. They featured the theme of Christmas.

The first one was on Sunday at my church where we welcomed the Friary Guildford Band who are the best brass band in London and the South East. They played a range of classical, popular and sacred music. Our church choir sang along with them for two carols and the audience got to lift their voices for another two. There were some nice Christmas songs beginning with a favourite of mine Troika! They also played Jupiter from The Planets which I fell in love with in junior school - the quite melody always gets me. It was a great evening and reminded me just how much I love live music. I really must get out there for more!

Last night the concert was at The Rose Theatre, Kingston. It was their annual Christmas charity concert. Euphonix were part of this. We were the warm-up act, sorry, pre-concert entertainment. A number of us sang from the balcony of the circle. It took a while before we acquired an audience. Two nice appreciative men got the clapping started. Thanks guys! As more people arrived we had to sing out above the general excitement and conversation wafting around the bar and galleries but when the sopranos hit the very high note at the end of We Wish You A Merry Christmas we got their attention. I really went for it. Not sure I've ever been sung so high. It felt wonderful!

As participants we were allowed free entry to the concert and could sit anywhere we liked in the upper circle. The concert was a great mix of singing and dancing and a little audience participation. We had a boy singing Walking In The Air accompanied by a girl ballet dancer, the Canbury Singers, (whose working of a version of The Coventry Carol was beautiful and moving), Movement Warriors, a boys dance group and the Tiffin Children's Chorus. After the interval we were entertained by Jenny Green & The Jingle Bell Jass Trio, The Tiffinians (always great, such talented and clever young men) and the wonderful Singing It Back who are a community choir. I have to say they really impressed me. Their rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah was breathtaking and Fairy Tale of New York was fun and I was singing along!

Euphonix will be performing at The Rose Theatre on Wednesday at 2.30pm. We'll be in the cafe singing for Crisis at Christmas. If you are around Kingston drop by!

Some Chrismassy scenes for you:

Kingston Market Place