December 2025
Concert review: CHRISTMAS MAGIC AT THE VILLAGE HALL
Time flies! It hardly seems a year ago that we were sitting in the Village Hall and enjoying a concert of seasonal fare. Twelve months have now rolled by and we’re back in the Village Hall and Derek Harrison is once again conducting the Knebworth Community Chorus, presenting a fine mix of seasonal songs and carols in a programme that, this year, is titled “Christmas Magic”. Such concerts have become a tradition in Knebworth, holding their place alongside that other seasonal fixture, the lighting of the village’s Christmas lights where, incidentally, the KCC also sang.
Commencing the 2025 concert before a full house at the Village Hall, December 6, was “Can’t Wait For Christmas” given a lively performance by the Chorus, then followed by a change of tempo with “Christmas Waltz”, setting a programme that was unpredictable in choice of songs, many probably being unfamiliar to those in the audience. How often are carols from Spain, East Africa and Iberia are included in a British Christmas programme? But such choice music ensures that the KCC Christmas concerts are always a fixture on many people’s calendars, and compliments to Derek Harrison for seeking out such rarities.
More well known were as “O Holy Night”, “I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day” and “Jingle Bell Dash”, while the audience joined the Chorus for full voiced renderings of such as “Good King Wenceslas”, “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen” and “Ding Dong Merrily On High”. Throughout the concert Jonathan Eyre provided the singers with piano accompaniment.
Breaking away from the music, special guest John Griffiths made three appearances that included a humorous parody on “The Twelve Days of Christmas”, a perfect antidote to the festive spirit, and a powerful rendering of extracts from Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” in which the veteran actor appeared suitably dressed as Scrooge.
Further adding to the evening’s enjoyment, there was mulled wine and mince pies during the interval, making the concert a perfect lead into Christmas. A round of applause is deserving to Derek Harrison, the KCC and all others in creating this Christmas Magic.
TONY BYWORTH
October 2025
Around 60 singers came for this Singing Day; and nearly 40 came at 4.00 to listen to our informal sing-through. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and successful day!
June 2025
(Programme below poster)
March 2025
“Let’s Sing Together” – another open singing day (10.00-5.00) focusing on the Wonder Requiem written by Mozart was held on Saturday 22 March. Around 60 singers came together in St Martin’s Church, Knebworth under the direction of Derek Harrison, accompanied by Jonathan Eyre. At 4.00 p.m. a good sized audience joined us (and came for the tea and cakes beforehand!) to hear the results of our day’s work. it was another very successful day of Singing Together.
December 2024
June 2024 – Summer Concert
This was the Stevenage Accordion Group
CONCERT REVIEW
A sizeable audience gathered for the Knebworth Chorus’s summer concert on June 22nd in the Village Hall. This year’s theme was “Blue Sky”. As usual, they were joined by an instrumental group – this year it was the amazing Stevenage Accordion Group paying their first visit to Knebworth.
The choir were on good form from the first piece, a 12th century very bouncy “Summer is a-coming in”. Among the more classical style pieces were accomplished performances of Ola Gjeilo’s serene “Across the vast eternal sky” and Bob Chilcott’s strongly rhythmical “The same sun shine”. “Beautiful Dreamer”, “What a wonderful world” and choruses by Rodgers/Hart/Hammerstein contributed to the sunny flavour of the Blue Sky. The audience joined in with great vigour for “We’re all going on a summer holiday”.
From the first moment – the loud strong chords of Concerto d’Amore – the accordionists enthralled and excited the audience. Their very varied programme of light music showed the scope of an instrument that not many had heard before – and certainly not as a group of six.
If you might be thinking that choral concerts are not for you, think again. During the evening (which included a free drink at half time), we heard rich and romantic tunes, new and old; including a delightful performance of “Lucy in the sky with diamonds” (The Beatles). In addition to directing the choir, Derek Harrison entertained us with informative and humorous introductions to the music.