This month will see our concert performance of Chris Richardson’s The Selfish Giant, based on Oscar Wilde’s short story of the same name. In the story, it was always winter in the garden - no other season would venture there. One morning, a special child brought back spring, and the giant's heart melted along with the snow.

Your hearts will melt too, as the story is brought to life in Chris’s beautiful and complex songs. Rather fittingly, the annual summer party will follow the concert, in our own garden. A little history of this work... on Friday 12 July 2002, the full version of Chris Richardson’s setting of The Selfish Giant had its world premiere. The choir performed it on the evening of the 12th, and again for a matinee on the afternoon of the 13th July. 

Now, after maturing for 21 years, it is making a much overdue return and we continue our approach of doing pieces rarely - or in this case, never - performed by other choirs. In these 17 songs beautiful simplicity and intense complexity sit happily side by side. Chris drew on many styles: from Bach to Walton, and from Lionel Ritchie to Earth, Wind and Fire and set the work for the textures of adult choir, children’s choir, a baritone Giant and a treble Child. In the 2002 performances, Chris played the Giant, and his son Nicholas played the piano; the child was played by 7-year-old William Fairbairn, who went on to Westminster Abbey Choir school, and a career in music. Nick said his dad was very proud of this work and we’re delighted that he and his sister Jackie are looking forward to seeing it again.