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Christmas 2023 sees the release of two new recordings, the Christmas Oratorio on Delphian, performed by The Choir of Merton College, Oxford, conducted by Benjamin Nicholas, and Mary, Mother on the Resonus disc, A Winter Breviary, on which St Martin’s Singers are conducted by Andrew Earis. Thanks are due to all those involved in both projects for their work in producing two lovely discs.

In concert, Mary, Mother is launched in the US with performances in Virginia and DC by Choralis, conducted by Gretchen Kuhrmann. Scored for SATB choir with piano or with organ and optional harp, the vocal score is published by Oxford University Press. Also receiving its first performance from Choralis is a new setting of the German carol, Maria, durch ein dornwald ging, in German and English.

Carols for Choirs 6, edited by Bob Chilcott and David Hill, is a collection of 50 new carols, published by OUP. Included within it are two carols by Bob, Jesus Christ the apple tree, which is presented as a round for unison, two part, or three part voices, and The First Nowell, commissioned for the Church of England as part of Follow the Star 2023, for SATB choir with organ. For more information about Follow the Star, with an opportunity to download performance materials for The First Nowell, explore the pages on the Church of England website Archbishops invite choirs to join premiere of new Carol for Advent and Christmas | The Church of England.

Singers are welcome to participate in the 2024 series of Come and Sing with Bob Chilcott days, exploring new repertoire and older favourites. Events take place in Hereford, Kenilworth, Warminster, Southwell, Frodsham, Ilkley, Crawley, and in the South Chiltern area, in the first half of 2024. Bob will also visit Texas and Madrid, where he’ll work with young people on his upper voice repertoire, and he will make a return visit to Japan to work once more with Kyoto Echo Choir. In this 20th year since the first performance of A Little Jazz Mass, massed choir performances are being planned in the UK in Bath, and in Europe in Barcelona (with Interkultur) in September.

New works include a new collaboration with the WDR in Germany and Luxembourg, due for performance in May 2024, and Bob plans to write Rainbow for Choralis and The Children’s Choir of Washington DC for May 2025. New publications include unison versions of Be thou my vision, Irish Blessing, Midwinter, and The Advent Candle in OUP’s Voices as One series. So wie ich bin and Irischer Segen are the first anthems published for the German market. Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow, commissioned by the Crescent City Children’s Choir Festival is a three-movement work for SSA choir and piano.