The Somerville Community Chorus is proud to announce its 2011 Holiday Concert, which will feature Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Christmas carols from around the world.

The Chorus is delighted to welcome The Community Gospel Choir, under the direction of Stacie J. Clayton, who will join them for this performance.
The concert will be held at First Church Somerville UCC, 89 College Ave., on the corner of Francesca, in Somerville, MA, on Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 3:00 PM.
Britten wrote A Ceremony of Carols in March of 1942, while at sea aboard the M.S. Axel Johnson. Originally written for Treble Choir and harp, the piece in its final form was first performed by the Morriston Boys’ Chorus, at the direction of the composer. The majority of the text is taken from The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, and is in old English. Originally conceived as a series of unrelated songs, it was later unified into one piece with the framing processional and recessional.
The carols from around the world include African Noel, Calypso Noel, Gesu Bambino, Rocking Carol and two Catalan Carols, which were handed down through generations of village folk in Catalonia, located in the Northeastern section of Spain, bordering on France and the Mediterranean. The lyrics are in Catalan, a language that evolved from that region and seems to combine elements of French and Spanish.
Selections by the Community Gospel Choir include Hallelujah from Handel’s Messiah in a gospel arrangement, The Little Drummer Boy, and Angels We Have Heard on High.
The Somerville Community Chorus was founded in 1985 by a group of teachers from the Somerville Schools and is now a diverse ensemble of vocalists from all over the Boston region and Somerville. It continues to perform two concerts per year for the Somerville community, friends and family.
The Community Gospel Choir is a volunteer choir made up of several churches and community members of varying ages and backgrounds. They perform throughout the community and every February since 2000, they present a Gospel concert to celebrate “Black History” and Gospel music. Their next Gospel Concert is scheduled for February 18, 2012 at Tufts University’s Cohen Auditorium.
Tickets are available at the door. Suggested Contributions: $15 General; $10 Seniors; $6 per person for families with children under 18.
For more information please visit http://www.somervillechorus.com/