The Christmas concert by The Huddersfield Singers will be an especially poignant one.
For they will be performing in memory of their former conductor, Philip Honnor, who died in September aged 72.
Philip had been the conductor for 23 years and his widow, Sylvia, intends to be at the concert at Holy Trinity Church on Saturday, December 5, for what promises to be a very special occasion.
Singers committee member Richard Hallas said: “The choir has decided to dedicate the concert to his memory and we are going to include Philip’s own very attractive arrangement of In Dulci Jubilo as one of the carols in the concert.
“It would be wonderful if as many of Philip’s friends, colleagues and former pupils could attend.
“Philip’s commitment to the group was unparalleled and his fine choice of interesting repertoire and his expert training shaped the choir into a distinctive and well-regarded ensemble over nearly a quarter of a century. He truly made the choir his own.”
Philip was conductor of the Singers – which incorporates The Huddersfield Glee and Madrigal Society – from 1990-2012, making him the longest-serving conductor in the Society’s 140-year history.
The concert has been called A Christmas Ceremony and the repertoire will also include Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols and Bush’s A Christmas Cantata.
Philip became Head of Music at Huddersfield New College in 1971 and spent the next decade there, eventually moving to the School of Music in the Technical College in 1982.
In both institutions he was heavily involved in developing strong choral and orchestral traditions as well as teaching composition and jazz improvisation. He was a skillful composer and arranger of choral and jazz pieces.
The choir’s new conductor since September 2014 has been Alexander Douglas, a highly qualified musician with experience in directing many types of ensemble, both choral and instrumental.
He is also a talented jazz pianist and composer. A great exponent of Bach’s music, Alex is keen to maintain the choir’s diverse and innovative repertoire.
The concert starts at 7.30pm at the church on Trinity Street opposite the lower Greenhead Park gates.
Tickets are £10 (concessions £9).
