Vox Populi bring Christmas songs old and modern to an enthusiastic full house.

Vox Populi The Bells of Paradise. Performed at Holy Trinity Church, Leamington Spa, Saturday 20 December 2025.

 Review by Charles Essex

Once again Vox Populi, Harvey Brough’s community choir, ensured a packed Holy Trinity Church in Leamington as they sang a wide selection of Christmas songs old and new.  All 19 songs were arranged by the multitalented Harvey and accompanied by a harp, piano and some of the brass section of the prestigious Orchestra of the Swan, including the euphonium and the flugelhorn.  For this evening, the Vox Populi choir was joined by a smaller choir that Harvey directs in Radford Semele, bringing the number of singers to 100. 

Very astutely, Harvey started the evening with a traditional ‘plain song’ using liturgies from the early church, Hodie Christus natus est, sung unaccompanied by instruments, which avoided the temptation to sing popular carols right from the off.  The first half of the programme was intentionally less well-known Christmas songs.  Two pieces by Benjamin Britten, including one translated from 16th Century German song, were particularly moving.  Kate Brook gave a delightful soprano rendition in Sweet was the song the Virgin sung, where she was also joined by Harvey and a quartet of singers.  Harvey also got down from the rostrum to sing alongside a smaller core of singers for O Magnum Mysterium.

The choir relax before the concert begins. Photo by Charles Essex.

The second half featured lighter, more popular songs and carols such as God rest ye Merry Gentlemen.  Vox Populi was supplemented by some wonderful solo performances.  Kate again was the soloist for Away in a Manger, while Jonathan Sampson gave an appropriately strong baritone performance in Rise up shepherd and follow.  A novel piece was Harvey’s arrangement of AA Milne’s poem King John’s Christmas.  The penultimate song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas was sung so sweetly that one could almost image Bing Crosby singing his popular hit. 

Each half and the evening as a whole were the right length, keeping the audience fully engaged without them losing focus, and the large choir maintained a wonderful standard throughout.  Vox Populi has gained a large and loyal following after only four concerts such is the quality of their performances.

The next Vox Populi concert will be on 21 March 2026 and will be Fouré’s Requiem and The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.  Rehearsals under Harvey’s wonderfully skilled musicianship start on 08 January in Holy Trinity Church at 7 pm and new members are welcome.