Blogs and Interviews

Hello everyone!

It’s finally here – our very own CLC Choir Christmas CD with all our favourite Christmas carols and songs. The funny thing is, we actually recorded it back in late February. Just as the daffodils were beginning to appear in the College gardens and people were beginning to ditch their scarves, there we were in the Princess Hall singing “Carol of the Bells”, trying our best to feel as festive as one can two whole months after Christmas.

We’ve all been excited about this project for over a year, and to have it finished and available for everyone to enjoy this Christmas season is incredibly special.

Christmas has always been my favourite time of year; there’s something about the warmth, markets, lights, and, of course, the music. Carols and hymns bring people together in a way that’s hard to describe and for our choir it’s always been a special time of year. That’s why getting to create our own Christmas CD felt like our chance to capture a bit of that magic for the whole College community.

Choosing a favourite track is almost impossible, but I must admit, My Lord Has Come will always have a special place in my heart. There’s something profoundly moving about it that just feels right for the beginning of the Christmas season. That said, Silent Night is the classic that will forever stay with me – it has a great sense of peace that I think many people connect with, no matter where they’re from.

Recording the CD was a whirlwind experience, and it’s one that really united us as a choir. We spent two intense days together, pouring all our focus and patience into making this project something we could be proud of. Between takes, we’d have to stand in absolute silence, not daring to move, just hoping the floorboards wouldn’t creak. But even then, every now and then, a plane would fly overhead, and we’d all sigh, waiting to start again. We worked with great efficiency, recording 20 tracks in two long afternoons. Although we missed school for the recording, it was worth it because we knew we were creating something lasting, something that would echo in the halls of Cheltenham Ladies’ College long after we’d left.

Listening to the final CD at home for the first time was surreal. Hearing all our voices come together, all those hours of practice condensed into a single disc, is an experience I will cherish. There’s a real sense of achievement in knowing we created something that others can enjoy. We set out to make something beautiful, and we all put our hearts into it.

When I leave at the end of this year, this experience will be one I carry with me, especially around Christmas time. I’ll always remember the early spring days spent recording in the PH with friends, working through each song with both determination and love, which is why I hope this CD brings as much joy to everyone listening as it did to all of us making it.

From our choir to you, here’s a CD for a season full of song and joy. Happy Christmas!

Helena, SFC2 (Head of Choir)

‘Adeste Fideles’ by The Choir of Cheltenham Ladies’ College, is available as a CD and also a digital download through the College website. Purchase now!