The Cayman National Choir (CNC) and Cayman National Orchestra (CNO) got together for “Sing Noel”, a very special carol service, at the Elmslie United Memorial Church last Tuesday (6).

The evening featured a variety of music of different styles, different times, and from different countries. There was even a Christmas Carol from Romania.

The Choir, conducted by Sue Horrocks, were in fine voice and their harmonies blended together perfectly.

The music started off with something from a little nearer to home. “Just a Little Farther to Go,” is a heartwarming song, based on a Jamaican folk melody, which describes a weary Mary and Joseph travelling to Jesus’ birthplace.

The audience were invited to join in at several different points in the performance, especially with resounding traditional carols such as We Three Kings, O Little Town of Bethlehem and, of course, Silent Night.

Were you There was beautifully handled by CNC. It is a lovely song where the audience can really enter into the spirit of the awe and wonder at the birth of the Saviour.

Not everything went smoothly, however, as Ms Horrocks who also conducted the orchestra introduced the March from the Nutcracker Suite by apologising for a missing trumpet player. The other musicians didn’t seem to be able to play around the missing musician very well, making the sound confused and even a little discordant in places.

The second half of the concert began with the rousing carol, Ding Dong Merrily, in which the audience  joined the CNC and CNO Orchestra.

Buna Dimineata la Mos Ajun, (Good Morning Christimas Eve) a Romanian Christmas song, followed. It was an ambitious accomplishment for the choir, as it was all sung in Romanian, but they nevertheless seemed to manage very well.

In a couple of places during the concert, the house lights inside Elmslie Church dimmed, leaving the light from the little, candle-like lights above each choir-members’ music sheet. The effect looked like an English Victorian scene, straight off a Christmas card.

White Christmas the classic Christmas number by Irving Berlin was a song which both the Choir and Orchestra enjoyed playing.

The audience, choir and orchestra all joined in to finish up with a resounding version of everybody’s the all-time  favourite carol, Hark the Herald Angels Sing. A really lovely and entertaining evening that deserved the standing ovation.

(Photos by: Christopher Tobutt)