Classic FM Carol Competition winner!

The Royal Choral Society is chuffed to bits that its recording of one our favourite carols, 'In The Bleak Midwinter' has been named as one of five WINNERS in Classic FM's annual carol competition run in association with Making Music, the charity that supports amateur music making. The recording will be played live on John Brunning's Classic Fm More Music Drive show at 6.15pm on Monday 19 December.

The carol was recorded on an appropriately chilly day in February 2022, in the beautiful church of St Giles, Cripplegate. The choir was conducted by Music Director Richard Cooke. You can see the choir's performance of this carol on our YouTube Channel.

The choir chose this particular carol not just for the beautiful unaccompanied setting by Gustav Holst, but because 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the original publication of the poem by Christina Rossetti in 1872. 2022 also sees the choir's own 150th anniversary, so the carol was the perfect choice to enter into the competition, which is open to amateur choral and orchestral groups. To be one of the five winners and to be broadcast on Classic FM is the perfect ending to the choir's anniversary year!

You can hear it on catch up here (6.15pm ie at 2 hrs 15min).

The Royal Choral Society is currently taking part in 15 carol concerts at the Royal Albert Hall, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Youth Choirs,  Greg Beardsell presenting and Richard Cooke conducting.