CHRISTMAS will be celebrated by local choir the Callington Singers with their first concert since coronavirus pandemic, held at Stoke Climsland Parish Church.

The concert will feature excepts of The Messiah by Handel – including the Hallelujah Chorus – and a selection of Christmas music, all of it classical, chosen by the choir’s musical director, composer Andrew Wilson.

It takes place on Saturday, December 10 at 4.30pm. Andrew will be conducting and the accompanist on the organ will be Mark Smith. The choir are honoured to be joined by soprano Samantha Rowe as the soloist.

And the concert is doubly special, because it will also be performed in the new performance space in the centre of the church, where stone floors released from an old carpet will enhance the acoustics.

Callington Singers member Ren Jackaman explained that the major project had been completed in May.

‘They have taken out choir stalls and old carpet which was covering up broken Victorian tiling and they have refloored it. It is all brand new paving stones and they have made it so it is completely open. The stones form a cross in the centre and there is underfloor heating. It is amazing.’

She said the project had enhanced the experience of performing at the church.

‘Basically before this singing in Stoke Climsland was quite tricky, because the organ was at the other end of the church and the carpet absorbed all the noise. The choir stalls were very uncomfortable too.

‘The acoustics are so much better now, the sound really travels.’

She explained that the choir, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year, found their programme abruptly interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020.

‘We were due to have a concert on March 25 2020, then covid happened, so we have had 18 months of not being able to sing at all, which is really hard. Everyone has generously carried on paying their subs because we new if we didn’t the choir would fold.’

‘There are lots of choirs that have folded, it has been really difficult. When we were able to meet again, there were lots of people who were scared of being in a group of people again, especially singing, but we have got new members and are pretty much the size were were before.’

She added that members came from a wide catchment area in the Tamar Valley and beyond. They meet to practise on Thursday nights at Callington Primary School between 7.30 and 9.30pm.

‘We did have someone come to us from Looe,’ she said. ‘We welcome anyone to come along and sing. You don’t need to be able to read music, you just need to be able to sing.

‘People support each so people who can’t read music will stand next to someone who doesn’t.The soprano soloist, Samantha Rowe, is going to do some of the soprano arias and we are also going to be singing Chirstmas carols, from medieval carols up to carols that everyone will recognise.’

The concert is being dedicated to an 18th century choirmaster at Stoke Climslandhurch called Thomas Calvert, who is remembered in a plaque in the church porch.He is credited with bringing choral music to the church back in the 18th century, after the too-silent Puritan era when all melodious worship of God was outlawed.

Ren explained that then as now, choirs could be a little tricky for a choirmaster to manage at times. .‘There is a letter that he wrote to the churchwardens basically complaining that he couldn’t come to rehearsals regularly. It is the same complaints made by choirmasters today!’ she said.

‘He originally came from Yorkshire but lived here and was a coroner for Cornwall, so was quite a posh bloke. He married a local girl and settled here although they didn’t have any children. I have asked Sam to mention him. We owe a lot to people like him for bringing choral music into the church. Choral music is a massive thing here in Cornwall, it is almost as big as it is in Wales and people don’t realise it.’

Between 30 and 35 of the 50 singers in the concert are expected to perform on the night.

The concert on Saturday, December 10 is at the relatively early time of 4.30pm to allow people to find Stoke Climsland down the country lanes and the church before darkness descends. Festive refreshments will be served on the night. Find out more at www.callingtonsingers.org.