Wirksworth Community Choir rounded off the Festive Season with performances of Christmas music in the charming and beautifully decorated Great Hall at Haddon Hall on the 21st December. Visitors to the Hall that day gathered to enjoy our selection of both familiar and less well-known carols, including some traditional Derbyshire ones.
This was the third year that we had been invited to sing at the Hall and it brought the choir’s festive events to a very enjoyable conclusion. Earlier performances in December included a return to the beautiful church in Bradbourne for a Carol Service and joining the Advent Service at St. Mary’s in Wirksworth.
The choir is a long-established, friendly, four-part, mixed voice choir which meets every Wednesday evening, in term time, at Wirksworth Junior School. Throughout the year, we practice and perform a very wide range of works. The repertoire, which has developed over the past forty years, ranges from ‘folk’ and ‘popular’ music to more traditional and classical compositions.
During 2024 we joined Chesterfield Co-op Choir and Wirksworth Community Orchestra to perform Rutter’s Magnificat at County Hall, we also sang at Wirksworth Farmers’ Market and Kirk Ireton Summer Music Festival. We held a very successful Come and Sing Choral Day in October at St Mary’s where we were joined by about 70 singers from near and far in a joyous performance of Vivaldi’s Gloria, and Handel’s Zadok the Priest and The King Shall Rejoice. In 2025 our Come and Sing Choral Day will be held on May 24th and we are currently planning the programme.
New members to the choir are always welcome. No audition is required, just a love of singing and a readiness to try something new. Our members have a wide range of musical abilities and experience, from skilled musicians to those who haven’t sung since schooldays, although a basic understanding of following a score is an advantage. We are lucky to have a talented director, Adam Green, who adjusts his rehearsing and conducting techniques to suit all abilities.
We would love to hear from you if you are interested in joining us. Have a look at our web site, www.wirksworthcommunitychoir.org to find out more about us, and follow the Contact Us link.