About the Choristers

Following an age-old holiday tradition, Valley Concert Chorale is pleased to present The Christmas Choristers. Whether you are planning a large corporate event or a small family gathering, we have the perfect entertainment to make your festivities ring with the joy of the season.

The Christmas Choristers, performing members of the Valley Concert Chorale, will come to your holiday event, bringing the added joy of music of the season. Local musician Rob Lappa directs the Choristers. The Christmas Choristers will be happy to prepare a program to fit your event, with anywhere from fifteen to forty-five minutes of music including sing-along time, if you choose. To arrange your special performance by The Christmas Choristers, call us at (925) 866-4003 and leave voice mail; or send us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

The Tradition of Caroling

The earliest known Christmas songs, in the Gregorian tradition, date from 4th century. Later in Rennaissance Italy, there emerged a lighter and more joyous kind of Christmas song, more like the true carols (from the French word caroler, meaning "to dance in a ring"). Carols enjoyed further development and popularity when they were used in the mystery plays of the Middle Ages.

Wandering minstrels traveled from hamlet to castle where they peformed carols. In later years, villages had their own bands of waits -- originally watchmen who patrolled the streets of the old walled cities keeping guard and singing out the hours of the night. During the holiday season, they would include carols for the people along the way. Eventually carolers was used to describe groups of musicians who sang and played for various events during the Christmas season.

Music by Handel and Mendelssohn was adapted and used as Christmas carols, with the most famous of all, Silent Night (Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht) written by the Austrian parish priest Joseph Mohr and composed by church organist Franx Gruber in 1818. Beginning in the 19th century, many popular songs were written by composers such as Sibelius. The themes of songs surpassed religion and the totality of Christmas paraphernalia found its way to carol music.

Our Repertoire

The Chorister's repertoire includes beloved Christmas lullabies, delightful songs from past and present, and jovial holiday favorites. Among these pieces are:

• Ding Dong Merrily on High
• Away in a Manger
• Silent Night
• Caroling, Caroling
• Jolly Old Saint Nick
• Up on the House-top
• Fum, Fum, Fum
• Past Three O-Clock
• Carol of the Bells
• We Wish you a Merry Christmas
• and other traditional sing-along carols.