Choir leader Bill Henderson and Professor Ian Russell MBE are running a Village Carols Workshop at St Leonard’s Church Hall Forres on Saturday, November 11

WOULD-be singers and musicians are being invited to a fundraising event to prepare them for the festive season.

Following the success of traditional carol singing sessions at Café 1496 and St Leonard’s Church last December which raised £700 for Moray Food Plus, choir leader Bill Henderson is organising ‘A Village Carols Workshop’ from 10am-4.30pm on Saturday, November 11 at St Leonard’s Church Hall, half of the net profits of which are going to the charity.

He said: “We held four sessions at Christmas when I taught village carols from South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire. Given their success and the level of enthusiasm, I’ve invited Professor Ian Russell MBE, an emeritus professor at the University of Aberdeen who has studied and researched vernacular carolling traditions for over 50 years, to run a full day workshop to teach more with their background. Ian will introduce classic carols from the traditions of villages around Sheffield, characterised by exuberant part singing and animated instrumental accompaniment, as befitting their context - usually the local pub!”

Workshop participants will learn the singing parts of 12 carols from South Yorkshire and the Peak District. Instrumentalists will learn to play the accompaniments.

“No special expertise is required,” added Mr Henderson, “just enthusiasm.”

Based on the manuscripts used by village bands, the arrangements have been prepared by Proff Russell and are taken from ‘The Sheffield Book of Village Carols’ and ‘The Derbyshire Book of Village Carols’.

Tickets cost £25 if pre-booked or £30 if bought on the day, including music scores and light refreshments. Book via billhendersonmusic@gmail.com. Music score PDFs will be available in advance.

Mr Henderson is planning follow-up sessions in Forres in December and January.