Petros Singers: A Ceremony of Carols Revisited

In 2016, Richard Bannan’s first Christmas as Petros Singers' Musical Director, the choir performed Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. Ten years on, they return to the same sequence of medieval poetry that inspired Britten, reimagined through a beautiful programme of choral music from across the centuries.

As Richard explains: “One of the hallmarks of Petros Singers, not only under my direction but well established by my predecessors, is the choir’s refusal to be constrained by repertoire conventions or predictable programming. Marking ten years since my first Christmas concert with the choir felt like the perfect opportunity to reflect on that journey.

For singers, text is our USP; instrumentalists only get songs without words! Returning to the poetry Britten chose for his seminal Ceremony, while exploring how a range of composers have responded to those same texts, offers both an intriguing musical challenge and a fresh way of experiencing these timeless words.”

Do join Petros Singers for this special concert celebrating the richness and enduring appeal of the Christmas choral tradition, as we usher in the festive season with glorious music, candlelight, mulled wine and mince pies – not forgetting the much-loved audience carols.

Petros Singers is a leading West London chamber choir, performing a wide variety of music – from baroque to contemporary, from large-scale works to exquisite miniatures – placing particular emphasis on vibrant and communicative singing.

Alex Knight combines a bustling freelance career as an organist, pianist, continuo player, conductor, music producer and teacher with his posts as Accompanist for Petros Singers, Chapel Organist at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, and Musical Director for the Treble Chefs.

Richard Bannan was a choral scholar at Clare College, Cambridge before embarking on a career as a professional vocal musician, arranger and teacher. He now sings as a Lay-Clerk at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, and with many of the country’s major professional ensembles.