Each year we wonder if we will all meet again the following year in St Mary-in-the-Castle for the annual carol service and, so far, we have been able to do so. Current plans look promising and hopefully things will continue to improve, with increasing numbers of events returning to this venue, which is an essential part of the cultural life of Hastings.

There was an even better reason for rejoicing this year as the choir have a new musical director. His linguistic skills may not be as fluent as those of previous MDs but which of them could have turned to sing the tenor solo for O Holy Night at the drop of a hat and done so with such mellifluous charm. As a result Marcio da Silva has now set himself a standard which will require a solo from him each year, and audiences will surely not allow a performance to go by without one. His handling of the choir was as assured as his singing. Relaxed and positive, he communicated a level of enthusiasm which radiated from the stage. Opening with a brightly focused Gaudete and a bouncy Up good Christian folk, the concert moved through a virtually unaccompanied Jesus Christ the apple tree to two John Rutter settings, his own Candelight Carol and a familiar arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

Between these and our own contributions we heard two extended interludes from Inspiratus Brass, a young and highly professional ensemble who know how to entertain as well as maintain high musical standards.

Hopefully we will not have to worry where we meet next year, and in the meantime we have a promise of Bach’s St John Passion on 6 April and a summer concert on 15 June. More details from www.hastingsphilchoir.org.uk  BH

Park Road Methodist Church, 11 December 2012

Julius Weeks led the Come and Sing Carols evening and delightful it was. One never quite knows what one is in for when Julius is in charge and this evening was no different. Along with a goodly range of familiar carols, we also sang White Christmas and Julius played We’re walking in the air alongside Bach’s Nun komm der Heiden Heiland.

Carols ranged from A great and mighty wonder to O come all ye faithful, and of course included the Sussex Carol. Park Road Methodist have acquired the organ from Battle Methodist Church on long term loan while their own church is being rebuilt. It sounded very good, dare one say almost better than it did in Battle! Hopefully it will encourage the congregation at Park Road to find an organ at least as good as this when it returns to Battle to its new home.

But the most interesting feature of the evening was the readings Julius had found. There was a distinctly subversive version of The night before Christmas and an equally diverting The night after Christmas. He had also found the background to Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, which proved illuminating. The story was written in under three months and at the author’s insistence was reasonably priced to enable all readers’ access to it. Though he made virtually no profit from the story it greatly enhanced his reputation and as a result he became the authorial figure we still revere today. When so many readings and film versions fill our schedules at this time of year it was a valuable reminder of its history. BH

The next meeting is on Tuesday 8 January at Hastings Unitarian Church, when members are invited to provided discs or DVDs of their favourite organ music – Desert Island Organs.