The Durham Singers present their Christmas concert: The Waiting Sky. As the title suggests, this concert centres on the period of Advent in the first half, and then a selection of pieces inspired by the birth of Christ in the second half. Our programme will follow the trajectory of events that convey the story leading to Christmas Day itself.

The music is predominantly drawn from the last century of English choral music. We focus on works by Herbert Howells, Peter Warlock and the contemporary composer Oliver Tarney, who is currently Head of Academic Music and Composition at Winchester College. The two pieces by Tarney we will perform, ‘The Waiting Sky’ and ‘Under the Starlight’, promise to be a particular highlight of the evening. The words for both pieces, were written by Lucia Quinault, a contemporary poet.

The other significant work in this concert is Francis Poulenc’s Quatre motets pour le temps de Nöel, which display Poulenc’s distinct neoclassical style in all its glory.

It would, of course, not be Christmas without carols, and the choir will invite the audience to join in on four occasions. This will truly be an event to get all the family into the Christmas spirit.