Rehearsal notes and Practice Aids

2025-26 Season
September 2025
Handel’s Messiah Part 1
Britten’s St Nicholas
Notes on “St Nicolas”
WCS will not be singing any of the sop/alto “gallery choir” music. e.g. page 25 “Lightning hisses”, the descant on page 47. 
Pages 68-74 (seven semi choruses) is not as tough as it might look.


Note learning files
Britten St Nicolas (Cyberbass, Choraline, Learn Choral Music)
Handel Messiah (Part 1 only) (Cyberbass, Choraline, Learn Choral Music, Chordperfect - allows you to slow the music down!)

Recommended Listening
Britten St Nicolas
- English Chamber Orchestra, Langridge, Bedford (Spotify)
- Trinity College Cambridge, Clayton, Layton (Spotify)

Handel Messiah (Part 1 only)
- Polyphony, Britten Sinfonia, Layton (Spotify)

Scores
Britten St Nicolas from Forwoods ScoreStore NB there is only one edition of St Nicolas.
Handel Messiah (New Novello, ed. Watkins Shaw) from Forwoods Scorestore

It might be worth searching on eBay or Amazon for used copies of the scores (eBay had St Nicolas for £9 the other day). Make sure you’re looking for this cover picture (there is a choral score available too, but it doesn’t include the useful piano accompaniment)