Category: Christmas

Christmas 2024

At the end of a busy term, I want to say thank you to everyone who has sung, played, or generally supported Invitatione this year.

We performed a superb concert in February 2024, at which we raised over £1,000 for Hull4Ukraine. The spirit of friendship and joy from rehearsing Dvořák and Lauridsen came to glorious fruition on 24th February in St. Alban’s Church.

We also enjoyed celebrating Alan’s 90th birthday together in the summer, making our own small contribution to a lovely event at All Saints’ Church, Hessle.

Since September, we have been gradually getting to grips with Puccini and, lately, Shostakovich. I have been delighted that we’ve been able to welcome new members to both the choir and the orchestra. The warm and generous way in which you all turn up to rehearsals and embrace new material is humbling. Keep spreading the word and bringing people along.

On Christmas Eve, I want to offer everyone good wishes for a peaceful and prosperous Christmas and new year. I have just given up my job, with no job to go to and little idea as to what happens next; thankfully, Invitatione feeds me with fulfilment, friendship and a sense of continually learning, and I am infinitely grateful to all of you wonderful people who keep coming along and participating.

Here is a reminder of our performance of Messiah from Hull Minster in 2018 – the part which covers the Christmas story.

Looking forward very much to all our activity in 2025.

Rachel

Christmas greetings – and a Lauridsen treat

It is very sad indeed that we have not – yet again – been able to get together and sing this Christmas. It is especially disappointing because we had hoped that our informal concert on 20th November would be the start of a renewal of our music making after the long gap due to the pandemic.

By way of some small consolation, and as a reminder of better days, here is a performance, from the Invitatione archives, of the beautiful O magnum mysterium by Morten Lauridsen. It is hard to believe that it is five years since, in 2016, we embarked on three concerts in three venues in Hull and the East Riding, to celebrate Advent and Christmas. Thanks to Stuart Grant, we have recordings of all of those concerts.

This particular performance was part of the lunchtime concert we gave at the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Peter Chanel, Hull, on 26th November 2016, the weekend of Advent.

Listening back to this excellent performance underlines how important it is for us to keep singing together, and to keep sharing our performances with a wider audience.

Let’s hope 2022 brings renewed opportunities for us to be together to sing and play. In the meantime, enjoy.