Harrogate Gilbert & Sullivan Society
Our annual Christmas Concert, performed jointly with the Brighouse and Rastrick Band at the fabulous Royal Hall are a firm favourite in Harrogate's Christmas Calendar.
Once again this year we were honoured to have one of the greatest bands in the world of brass, rightly famed for their sheer versatility, breathtaking musicianship and stunning arrangements.
The Society prides itself on putting together an eclectic mix of music for the whole family, with seasonal favourites, carols to sing along to, as well as transporting the audience to the world of the movies - and a smattering of Gilbert & Sullivan thrown in!
In 2016 our Christmas Concerts took place on December 17th at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. See the news pages for information on the concert and money raised.
C h r i s t m a s C o n c e r t s
2015
2014
The award-winning Brighouse and Rastrick Band joined forces with the Society for a spectacular programme of seasonal favourites, breathtaking arrangements and festive carols.
In October 2015, the Brighouse and Rastrick Band won top-placed English Band in the National Finals at the Royal Albert Hall and will represent England at the European Brass Band Festival in Belgium in 2017 - they are already representing England at the 2016 European Brass Band Festival in Lille, France. With a huge range of emotional and musical depth, the Brighouse and Rastrick performances have been hailed as ‘amazing’. Judges at the national finals described their performance as 'a stunning performance exuding quality and musical splendour.'
The band and singers drew on some of the best of the brass band repertoire with Christmas arrangements by the late Goff Richards for band and choir, and spectacular seasonal favourites including the popular Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson and the Christmas Song arranged by Bill Geldard as well as Christmas carols to sing-along to.
The band also took everyone to the movies, with John Williams’ famous Star Wars theme and the equally spectacular theme from The Polar Express.
The audience also had to watch out for pirates this year - there was a distinct musical twist when Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer met up with the Pirates of Penzance in a musical medley for all the family!
One or two Pirate tunes, and one or two Pirates themselves, made an unlikely appearance in landlocked Harrogate - and at Christmas time as well - to give everyone a sneaky preview of what was to come in the society's main production of The Pirates of Penzance in 2016!
2012
