Director of Music : Sara Wood GRSM ARCM LRAM Dip Ed
Assistant Director of Music : Victoria Wood LRSM
The all-male choir of Holy Trinity Church (15 trebles & 21 men) boasts a very wide repertoire, ranging from Vittoria to Bach, Haydn to Rutter, Gibbons to Tambling, Archer to spirituals and secular music.
The choir has performed Handel’s Messiah, Bach’s B Minor Mass, Haydn’s Harmonie Messe, Mozart’s Requiem and Bach’s St. John Passion as well as other smaller works, including Stainer’s Crucifixion, Maunder’s Olivet to Calvary, Archer’s Love Unknown , Fauré’s Requiem, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, and Tambling’s Hail Redeemer.
The choir provides a trilogy of carol services each year (celebrating Advent, Christmas and Epiphany). Holy Trinity, Cookham is the only parish church in the country to offer a choir-led carol service on Christmas Day itself. The choir has made many recordings and has featured on radio and television.
The boys and men have recently recorded their eighth album—a CD of Christmas carols (Behold that Star). This includes several traditional congregational carols and other well-known choir carols, as well as carols which the choir has discovered only in recent years. The CD is now available - a useful Christmas gift!
The choir plays an important part in the worship at Holy Trinity Church, providing a variety of music for two weekly Sunday services (0930hrs Eucharist and 1830hrs Choral Evensong). The choir also provides music for weddings and other special services throughout the year.
See also: Choir photo album.
Dear Sara Woods:
From my Cookham video, I think you are the Sara Smythe I remember so admiring when I was a little girl named Rosemary Wootten. If so, and even if not, I wanted to thank you for the glorious music at the end of the video and to tell you that I still admire you, all the way from Texas.
Posted by: Romy Starratt | April 29, 2004 at 09:52 PM
Just wanted to say what a wonderful evensong it was on Sunday 22 April. The music and performances were perfect with The Call being especially poignant in its playing and singing. Since I started to attend Evensong in October last year there have been many excellent services but this was one of the best.
Posted by: Andy Draper | April 23, 2007 at 04:43 PM
Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends of Choral Music,
We have the pleasure to send you information about of one of the most prestigious choral festivals in Europe : the 19th International Festival of Advent and Christmas Music with Petr Ebens Prize , traditionaly organized in Prague during the first Advent weekend. The next festival will be held in the days November 26-29, 2009
The festival is open for the following amateur choirs: female, male, mixed, children´s. The choirs are to prepare a 15 minutes contest programme of Advent and Christmas music of their own choice either a capella or with instrumental accompaniment, consisting of max. 5 compositions. The jury will award the Petr Eben´s Prize for the best performance of one of Petr Eben´s compositions - Petr Eben´s Prize will be awarded regardless of other results in the category (it is not compulsory to include his works into the competition programme). The competition will be judged by an expert jury selected by organizers consisting of outstanding figures of Czech and international choral music, according to the following criteria:
choice of compositions and programme structure, technical level of interpretation, general artistic impression
Special prize of jury will be awarded for the best performance (arrangement, vocal qualities, conducting, etc.) The winners will get gift prizes.
At the end of the whole programme there is common singing at the Old Town Square, where Christmas and Advent songs will be sung and also the composition of Petr Eben, composed specially for this occasion.
In last year´s festival participated almost 70 choirs from 25 countries - it would be a big pleasure to welcome also your choir in 2009!
You can see programme of 2008, a list of the participants and results of 2008 festival on our website:
http://www.praguefestival.cz/christmas.htm
In case of your interest, please don´t hesitate to contact our agency - we will be happy to give you more detailed information.
The following choirs from ... successfully participated in the 18th festival:
If you prefer not to participate in a competition, we are happy to invite you to the Prague Advent Choral Meeting - taking place in Prague on second and third Advent weekend on December 3 - 6, 2009 and December 10-13, 2009.
The festival is open to choral groups of any size and of all kinds from all over the world.
All groups will have the following programme:
Choirs arriving on Thursday - December 3, 2009 and December 10, 2009:
- 2 public performance /church or christmas market/
- final festival meeting – common singing, diploma awarding
- a walking tour of Prague, guide during whole festival
Choirs arriving on Friday - December 4, 2009 and December 11, 2009
- 1 public performance /church or christmas market/
- final festival meeting – common singing, diploma awarding
- a walking tour of Prague, guide during whole festival
You can see programme of 2008 on our website:
http://www.praguefestival.cz/advent.htm
you can find prices and application forms for the both festivals under:
http://www.praguefestival.cz/advent2009.html
You will have the opportunity to present your singing to thousands of spectators, meet new friends, see our hostoric city with its historical monuments - all beautifully decorated for Christmas.
The Millennium Agency Prague is exclusive organizer of stays of all participanting groups. All costs connected with festival participation are carried by the participants, the organizers reserve the right to arrange the stay in Prague for all participants - the transportation to Prague and back is to be organized directly by the choirs. The deadline for applications is September 1, 2009.
We are looking forward to seeing you in the romantic city of Prague and we hope you will take part in our festival.
Stanislav Terlica
Festival Office
Millennium Agency Prague
Zahradnickova 20 c CZ - 150 00 Praha 5 Czech Republic
Tel/FAX.: +420 2 57219999 email: christmas@praguefestival.cz
Posted by: tania | February 05, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Dear Sarah,
Please would it be possible for me to have a copy of your arrangement of 'You are the New Day' as sung by your choir at the Morning Service on Sunday, 26th. April?
My post address is: 2, The Square, Merton,
OKEHAMPTON, Devon. EX20 3EE.and my telephone is 01805 603623.
I will happily pay all costs.
Thank you.
Posted by: Tilly Kimber. | May 06, 2009 at 03:43 PM
Tilly,
Do you mean a copy of the music or a recording?
Best,
Sara
Posted by: Sara Wood | May 11, 2009 at 07:44 PM