Come and Sing Carols with Orchestra!

On Saturday 20th December, singers from across Kent gathered in Canterbury for a festive ‘come and sing’ carols event! Participants arrived at the Colyer-Fergusson Hall at the University of Kent in the early afternoon, and after a short time of introductions were ready to sing! Accompanied by Michael Higgins on the piano, and led by Artistic Director James Meaders, the rehearsals were upbeat and full of energy.

“Jamie's leadership makes singing a real pleasure and I feel I gain a lot by his attention to detail, especially around vocal techniques.”

“Great communication for getting the best tone out of the group.”

The choir was introduced to composer Jacob Bride, who arranged five of the carols performed by the combined choir, and collaborated with us for the day. Once joined by the orchestra, the day transformed into something unique! With thirty professional instrumentalists, and three fantastic students, the orchestra filled the hall with festive bells, drums, brass, and strings, and the choir were buoyed with a new energy as they worked through their final rehearsal, ready for a stunning performance!

“Singing with an orchestra, under such a fantastic conductor and choral leader was absolutely magical!”

“I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to sing with such talented musicians in a wonderful venue with beautiful arrangements.”

Friends of the Vox have been delighted to promote Jacob Bride’s music through this event - his talent for lively, nuanced and unique arrangements truly stood out, and brought transformative energy and life to some well-known carols, many of which were a resounding highlight of the day for those who took part.

The concert opened fittingly with Jacob’s arrangement of WOLCUM YOLE: A Yuletide Overture, and a chance for the audience to join us with Once in Royal David’s City. His FOUR FOLK CAROLS were performed by our full ‘come and sing’ choir, featuring Nowell, Sing Nowell, Coventry Carol, God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen, and Sussex Carol. Soloist Arianna Ransley beautifully led the combined choirs of Vox Populi and The Bradstow Singers, in his arrangement of O Holy Night, and the orchestra played an interlude of two more of his festive arrangements, The Holiday and Concert Suite for the Polar Express, conducted by Jacob Bride himself.

Vox Anima Chamber Choir sang an intimate performance of Dan Forrest’s In The Bleak Mid-Winter, described as “exquisitely emotive”, and a beautiful highlight of the evening. The concert also featured an energetic performance of Jonathan Crutchfield’s Betelehemu, by Vox Populi and Vox Anima Chamber Choir, with a fabulous solo by James Meaders! The audience joined in with O Come, All Ye Faithful, before the choir and orchestra came together one last time for a jubilant finale, performing Joy to the World, arranged triumphantly by Taylor Scott Davis.

Hosting such a successful event at this beautiful venue has been the pinnacle of our year, and wouldn’t have been possible without the support and encouragement of a vast community. Heartfelt thanks go to all of our generous donors, fundraisers and cheerleaders - to those who supported us through our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign, to Reed Foundation for their match-funding, and to TMBC for their support as part of their 50th anniversary funding scheme - for helping to bring such joy to our community through the power of choral music! Singers from 27 different choirs across Kent came together for this wonderful shared experience, and the student musicians who joined the orchestra had an opportunity they would all love to have again in the future! A special congratulations goes to Freya, Elena, and Noah, who rehearsed and performed with the orchestra throughout the day with unwavering professionalism! Their musicianship and collaborative energy was wonderful to see, and we can’t wait to see them performing again in the future. We hope that the connections made between all who took part will foster some lasting relationships, and we look forward to more community collaborations in 2026!

“An excellent high-quality production that was intimate and involving, brilliant.”

“The original arrangements were great and the soloist was fantastic. A fabulous venue and exceptional quality.”

“This event was just the thing shortly before Christmas. Organisation, professionalism and feel good factor were in abundance.”

“Had a great day learning new music, singing with an orchestra and meeting new people!”

“This was a perfect day out. The premises was ideal, the music wonderful and the leadership professional. I'm so looking forward to doing this again.”