Lauder Community Choir’s annual concert on 14 December 2024 was both a joyous and an emotional one. Joyous because once again, the choir was joined with children from Lauder Primary School for a programme of uplifting Christmas music….and so much more!
Emotional because it was the last concert that our Musical Director, James Robertson would conduct us in, after 10 glorious years of leading the choir.
The programme was a rich blend of some of the choir’s old favourites – John Rutter’s A Flower Remembered, Africa, One (singular sensation) and Eric Whitacre’s Seal Lullaby, while the schoolchildren, under the brilliant direction of Claire Davies performed The Very Best Time of Year, again by John Rutter and When Children Rule the World by Andrew Lloyd Webber. A new piece with a strong message was also premiered on the night: Song for Peace by Jen Phizacklea had been arranged for the choir by our very own James Robertson and accompanied on the cello by Claire Davis.
The two choirs came together to perform the nation’s favourite carol, O Holy Night and Sing a Song for Christmas Time by James Robertson, with some very impressive percussion from talented primary school children!
The finale (although not quite the final finale!) featured Hazel Davis on violin, alongside Mum Claire in Brightest and Best, a rousing Christmas piece, which was followed by an encore of Eva Cassidy’s version of Over the Rainbow, one of the choir’s signature numbers.
Heartfelt votes of thanks to wonderful piano accompanist Claire Brennan, all the soloists, the school children and most of all, to James Robertson who has devoted so much time, effort, patience and skill to developing the choir for a decade.
Rosi Capper, February 2025