Festive sounds in Durham

With the arrival of the annual Christmas Festival this past weekend, the city started to feel (even) more festive. Walking around the centre after visiting the seasonal food market, there were plenty of carols being performed by choirs, brass bands, big bands...at one point I heard 2 different carols simultaneously at each end of Silver Street!

Some of the hardier groups were still out playing when I returned later for one of the weekend's festive concerts (clearly organised to tie in with the Festival but who can go to different concerts at the same time?), A German Christmas by the Caritas Ensemble, raising money for Diabetes UK. The concert had a seasonal theme but avoiding the more popular end of the carol repertoire.

About 16 of us sat in the very intimate setting of St Chad's College Chapel for an evening of song and instrumental music for soprano, flute, cello and piano. A very peaceful atmosphere developed with the opening work, Schumann's 'Langsam' from Fünf Stücke im Volkston performed by Deborah Thorne and Emily Murray. They were afterwards joined by Clare Crinson on flute for Weber's Trio in G minor which includes a shepherd's lament. A wonderful piece (my favourite of the evening) with a touch of Viennese waltz in the scherzo - a little foretaste of New Year's Day...

The nearest the concert came to popular carols was a selection from Liszt's piano transcriptions Weinachtsbaum, including adeste fidelis; following Bach's Weichet nur, betrübte Schatten (very well performed but not really my thing) the concert closed with Reger's Maria Wiegenlied. Exiting St Chad's and a quiet Bailey heading back to the city centre, I'm sure I head a strain of Jingle Bells...

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