Ludlow Arts: Classical
Saturday 5 December 2026
7:30pm
St Laurence, Ludlow
Emma Capp: cello
Emily Hopper: harp
Marion Bettsworth: organ and piano
Ludlow Choral Society
Nicola Starkie: conductor
Benjamin Britten: A Ceremony of Carols
Sarah Quartel: A Winter Day
and works by Reena Esmail, Steven Mann and John Leavitt
This concert brings together two evocative choral works that reflect on winter, ritual, and the human spirit from very different perspectives. Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols is a beloved modern classic, written in 1942 during the composer’s sea voyage from America back to wartime England. Scored for treble voices and harp, it sets medieval texts that move between jubilant celebration and quiet contemplation, capturing both the wonder and the fragility of the Christmas story with luminous clarity.
Sarah Quartel’s A Winter Day offers a contemporary counterpart, responding to the season not through religious ritual but through the shared human experience of winter itself. Warm, lyrical, and deeply atmospheric, the work traces the emotional arc of a single winter’s day, from stillness and introspection to connection and hope. Together, these pieces create a programme of intimacy and contrast, inviting listeners to reflect on light, warmth, and meaning in the darkest season of the year.
Ticket information in due course.
If you are interested in joining the choir, new members are always welcome. There are no auditions and there is plenty of support for new or returning singers. Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings in term time at Ludlow Methodist Church. Contact membership.ludlowchoral@gmail.com.