Second of the “What are we going to sing?” series:
Gaudete is a sacred Christmas carol, thought to have been composed in the 16th century. It’s a staple for choirs of course. But it was also an unlikely hit for an English folk band. Steeleye Span (with the great voice of Maddy Prior) recorded it and went to Number 14 on the pop charts with their version in 1973.
Here’s what that sounded like.
The King’s Singers recorded a more traditional version.
I suspect our version will fall somewhere between the two. Even though it’s a sacred song, it’s sung with gusto, a bit like a tavern song. It’s great fun to sing and will be part of our seasonal concert in December.