We’re really excited to be finally giving the first complete performance of a new setting of the ancient ‘O’ Advent Antiphons by David Bednall at our Advent concert on 26 November in Sherborne Abbey.

We commissioned David to write the set over three years, to celebrate our fortieth anniversary in 2019, but the Pandemic of course delayed the completion.

David and the choir have a long history together. Many of us in the choir have known David since he was at school in Sherborne; our Musical Director taught him the organ at school and he accompanied our concerts at a young age, as well as being one of Sherborne Abbey’s first Organ Scholars. We’ve been proud to watch him progress as a cathedral organist and as a composer who is now an Oxford University Press House Composer and it seemed very fitting that we should ask David to compose our anniversary commission.

David writes: “It’s been an exciting project to write a set of Advent Antiphons for Sherborne Chamber Choir. I worked a lot with the choir in my youth having grown up near the town so it has been a privilege to be asked to write for them. The Advent Antiphons are an interesting challenge for a composer as there is the need to capture seven distinct moods in a short time frame which can also work as part of the full set when they are performed together. The set needs to reach a conclusion whilst also somehow acknowledging that Advent is the waiting rather than the arriving. It’s been delayed over several years due to Covid so it’s great that they can finally receive their complete premiere.”

David’s Antiphons will be sung as separate movements through our programme: in between there is lots of Advent music old and new to enjoy, so we hope you’ll join us for music from the sixteenth century right up to today – you can buy tickets online here or on the door on the night.