Christmas is coming and for Leeds Male Voice Choir this can mean only one thing, the return of The Spirit of Christmas the choir’s popular extravaganza of yuletide favourites, Christmas songs and popular carols, this year taking place at Leeds Cathedral for one night only on Saturday 12 December.
Now in its second year the Spirit of Christmas will feature a host of local soloists and the Heritage Masterworks Chorale, who have recently returned from a successful tour of Paris and will perform alongside Leeds Male Voice Choir in the beautiful St Anne’s Cathedral in the heart of the city centre.
The Spirit of Christmas comes at the end of a very successful year for the choir, which has included new recordings and performances throughout the city including a sell-out concert in Morley Town Hall in the summer. Tim Knight, the choir’s Musical Director said “The choir’s development in the last two years has been terrific, we’ve found that there are plenty of men out there keen to sing, but demonstrated that there is audience keen to hear music performed by a male choir presented in a fresh and innovative way. Performing for a capacity audience in Morley this year has certainly been a highlight!”.
The choir is always keen to introduce audiences to a wide range of music, mixing less familiar festive pieces from as far and wide as Canada, the Czech Republic and Austria alongside popular festive songs and traditional carols including When A Child is Born, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year and Mistletoe and Wine.
Formed in 1916 in Middleton Broom Colliery in South Leeds, the choir will celebrate 100 years of singing in the city with a host of special performances throughout the city, culminating in a spectacular gala concert in the in Leeds Town Hall and an exhibition of the choir’s history in Leeds City Museum in 2016.
The Spirit of Christmas looks set to be a fun filled affair for the whole family with free entry for children, Tim says “Christmas is always a favourite time of the year for choir and a time to celebrate as we lead into our one hundredth year. We’re looking forward to what will be a fun filled festive evening for the whole family in Leeds Cathedral”.
The Spirit of Christmas takes place on Saturday 12 December at Leeds Cathedral, Great George Street in Leeds at 19:45 and tickets are available via www.leedsmalevoicechoir.co.uk or by telephoning 0113 243 1605
