By John Davies 3rd January 2012

On 15th December 2011 a group of over 50 members visited St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle for their 'Festivo' Christmas Concert. The Chapel dates from the 15th century, a vision of King Edward IV and was completed in the reign of King Henry VIII, a magnificent example of perpendicular architecture with its spectacular fan vaulting and frieze of stone-angels.

The programme lasted just short of two hours and consisted of an evening of words and music for Christmas with the choir of St George’s Chapel, (founded in 1348), singing traditional  and modern carols and augmented at times by audience participation.

In between the carols we had readings from the works of D.H.Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, and Carol Ann Duffy.

We were also entertained by a Northumbrian Piper playing arrangements of traditional carols and by the Staines Brass, a band formed in 1930 and which has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and on television, and which gave us excellent versions of carols, modern and ancient.

It was an excellent evening in wonderful surroundings to start off the Christmas festivities.