The annual Mayor’s Carol Service in Aylesbury took place this year at St Mary’s Church on 3rd December. Aylesbury Concert Band again played a major part in providing the music, together with the Aylesbury Choral Society, the church choir, and Bedgrove Junior School choir.
Before the arrival of the Mayor’s procession and the start of the service, the Band entertained the waiting guests with Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen (from the film Shrek), The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and A Christmas Mambo (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in latin style by David Edmonds, arranged by Barrie Hingley). Then to announce the arrival of the Mayor, Flourish for Wind Band by Vaughan Williams, and the fanfare opening of Festive Overture by Shostakovich. During the service, as well as accompanying the Christmas carols, the band played Deck the Hall by Barrie Gott, arranged by Brian Bowen and The Manger Scene by Leslie Condon, arranged by Richard Phillips. The Aylesbury Choral Society sang O Holy Night by Adolphe Adam, accompanied by the Band, and the Bedgrove School choir gave a spirited performance of The Twelve Days of Christmas complete with actions to illustrate the song.
The Band rounded off the service with We Wish You a Merry Christmas after which the Mayor and councillors handed round mince pies and mulled wine to the accompaniment of music from the Band: Jingle Bells, A Celtic Carol (arranged by Robert W. Smith) and A Christmas Overture by Nigel Hess. Luckily there were still some mince pies and mulled wine left for the band to enjoy by the time we’d finished playing!
Rod Wynne-Powell has posted a gallery of photographs he took before and during the service. The church was very dimly lit so the quality of the photos is remarkable.