The Renaissance Singers' Christmas concert has a great variety of carols for the audience to enjoy, with the opportunity to sing along with perennial favourites. Once again, Roy Tankersley, organ, and Shirley Xu, piano, provide the occasional accompaniment under the direction of Music Director Christine Archer-Lockwood.

The real feature this year, however, will be the opportunity to hear several young choristers as they sing pieces that highlight individual singers, singing solo and in concert with each other. Whanganui-bred Joseph Burgstaller has recently impressed as the junior in the tenor ranks, while the basses have been joined by Cameron Bhashkar, currently Music Director at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Cameron comes from a family of musicians and can play a number of different instruments, including the organ, and is currently directing a new choir in the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Cameron is also a composer, and the Carols for Christmas concert will feature one of his pieces.

Lily Tavendale, Nina Cameron and Briony Milne, three accomplished young choristers, will delight the audience as they readily pitch their young soprano voices to astronomical heights. In the 13th century, St Thomas Aquinas wrote a hymn asking Christ to strengthen believers. Seven centuries later, Latvian composer Ēriks Ešenvalds put it to music. Two of the young sopranos soar above the choir's intricate harmonies. Alto, Bronté Hodgetts, has recently been invited and has joined Voices New Zealand, New Zealand’s premier choir. Having already sung as a soloist for the Renaissance Singers, Bronté will once again show how readily she can project her voice like a professional. Daniel Hodgetts will also be showing off his bass baritone, having fine-tuned singing with the very successful New Zealand Youth Choir.

Canadian Gerda Blok-Wilson recently penned Lullay, My Liking, built around a 15th-century lullaby, requiring the choir to sing gently old-fashioned phrases that sound kind and loving. The choir also manages some strange old Middle English words, singing Jamie Hall's As I lay upon a night. Bob Chilcott's Sussex Carol and Alan Bullard's Glory to the Christ Child provide upbeat tempo, while Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium will satisfy ardent Renaissance Singers fans who expect the wonderfully tight blend of voices that is the choir’s hallmark.

And, once again, Christine will invite the audience to join in the choruses and to sing the melody lines of the more popular and familiar carols with the choir providing the harmonies. The consequence is one very large choir with audience members becoming honourable Renaissance Singers as a Christmas present.

This Carols for Christmas concert, performed at St Peter’s in Palmerston North on Saturday 6 December, will confirm its place as an annual favourite for lovers of carols and gorgeous choral music.