Siglo de Oro and Spinacino Consort

'Hey for Christmas'

(Fri 5 Dec 2025 8.00pm Little Missenden Church)

---

Five singers (incl Hannah Ely soprano) and Patrick Allies director Eric Thomas lute, theorbo Aaron McGregor violin Claire Horáček bass viol

---

Music to include:

John Playford (collected) Granny’s Delight; Drive the Cold Winter Away; The Beggar Boy; Paul’s Wharf; A Wassail Tune
 As I Outrode This Enderes Night; The truth sent from above; Hey for Christmas
Thomas Ravenscroft Remember, O thou man
Trad/Irish The Darkest Night in December
John Dowland The Earl of Essex Galliard
Anon Sweet was the song the Virgin sang
William Byrd O Magnum Mysterium; In winter cold
Richard Smert (attrib) Sir Christemas
Martin Peerson Upon my lap my soveraigne sits
Traditional Now to Conclude Our Christmas Mirth

Programme Notes will be available here and free at concert

 

Picture the scene. It’s 24th December at some point in the mid-17th century. You’ve just arrived at your relatives for Christmas at their house in London. After weeks of restraint during Advent, they have 12 days of revelry lined up for you. There will be feasting: meat, cake, custard, ale. But more importantly, there will be lots of music. 

Everyone will join together to sing the beautiful carols – some traditional and others only recently composed – but just as important would be the dancing. No room for that today, given 20th century arrangements in the church (things would have been rather different in the Middle Ages), but our instrumentalists will have no problem creating the right festive atmosphere and the vocalists will match them, with hearty tunes hailing the special delights of this season: food, drink, carols, carousing, and warming fires.