Mary, Sacred Rose – Music for Advent

The Louth Choral Society presents a winter Advent concert on a Marian theme, with a world-premiere performance of The Canticle of Mary by Alison Willis. In the first half of the concert, The Canticle of Mary sets six little known medieval carol texts combined with a new poem by Charles Anthony Silvestri, who has worked with Eric Whitacre , Ola Gjeilo and other contempory composers. The poem reflects on the Christmas story from a young Mary’s point of view and will be sung by the Soprano soloist, Olivia Thomas. It will be accompanied by Organist, Graham Eccles. In the second half, the choir will sing Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, accompanied by the very accomplished harpist, Eira Lynn Jones. Other gems will be Praetorius: Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen; MacMillan: O Radiant Dawn; Tallis: O Nata Lux; Fauré: Cantique de Jean Racine, and Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium. Conducted by Alison Willis, it will be held in the magnificent church of St James’s in Louth on Advent Sunday, 30th November 2025. This promises to be a real pre-Christmas treat!