Christmas 2018

Sounds Familiar Community Choir started its Christmas celebrations with its ever popular Christmas concert at Cranfield Church on 1st December. The audience was greeted by a beautifully decorated church of snowflakes and delicate white lights. Many new members experienced their first Christmas concert with Sounds Familiar and the audience were introduced to new soloists and readers. The choir entertained with a varied selection of Christmas songs including Jingle Bells set to the Nutcracker suite- interesting!- and a new arrangement of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer! The audience was also introduced to Sounds Familiars new rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. Everyone was also encouraged to join in their favourite carols during the concert, helped along by the mulled wine! Financially, this was the most successful Christmas concert for the church to date, which made it all worthwhile.

The choir hardly had time to catch their breath before they were carol singing at Xscape on 4th December and Tesco’s at Kingston on 11th and 18th December, where we were collecting for Sepsis UK, our Christmas charity for 2018. We were encouraged to here such comments as “Your singing made me so happy” “what a beautiful sound” and “it cheered me up”.  £516 was raised at these 3 sessions and £800 in total, was raised for Sepsis Uk over the Xmas period. Sounds Familiar raised a grand total of over £2,000 in 2018 for charity.

The choir took part in the Cranfield Church Xmas Tree Festival, decorating the tree in origami cranes made by choir members, symbolising Peace. I decided this was not my forte! The Xmas tree was then donated to an appropriate local family.

On the 17th December, the choir were invited back to sing with the pupils at Cranfield Church of England Academy. Pupils from both sites filled the school hall and joined in with great gusto and such confidence, even singing along with Jean, our MD, in her solo of Silent Night! To hear the whole school sing Away in a Manger was so moving. We also introduced the pupils to Handel, with the Hallelujah Chorus, which they appeared to appreciate.

Our last appearance over the Xmas period was taking part in the Midnight Mass at Cranfield Church,  which proved to be an emotional service, as this was the Rev Hugh Symes-Thompson’s   last Midnight service there before his retirement.

Following the Christmas break, the choir will re-commence rehearsals on Tuesday, February 5th at 7.30p.m. at Cranfield Baptist church. If you managed to see us at one, or more, of the above venues, you will gather that we are a very friendly choir, who love to sing for fun and charity. We are always looking out for new members, particularly of the MALE variety! Either pop along and meet us on the 5th or contact Jean Lloyd, our musical director, on 01234 751495 or 07793 074911. No audition is needed. Being able to read music not essential either.

 Read more about us on www.soundsfamiliarcommunitychoir.org or on Facebook.

Sue Lee