CAROLS sung by Somerset choirs will greet visitors to a county attraction this Christmas.

Montacute House, near Yeovil, is hosting a special musical event between November 29 and January 1, when people will be able to hear carols specially recorded by Somerset choirs around the grounds.

All the choirs are based near the house, with the closest – All Saints Church Primary School – based in the village itself, less than 500 yards away, with pupils lending their voices to the very jolly Jingle Bells.

Other groups featured in Montacute House Sings are:

• Ilminster Community Choir – The choir was first formed over 30 years ago and meets weekly at the Ilminster Arts Centre on Thursday evenings for two hours of singing for pleasure, generating a great sense of togetherness, and reinforcing the notion that singing is good for the soul. Led by Bethany Brown, it specialises in songs from many genres, most of which are in delicious four-part harmony.
• Harmony 303 Community Choir – There are approximately 70 members of the Harmony 303 community choir who meet weekly on a Tuesday morning at Norton-sub-Hamdon Village Hall for rehearsals. They are a mixed choir, and a group holiday is arranged each year which involves a performance.
• Montacute Village Voices – A group of local people who all love to sing. They meet once a week to rehearse a mixture of songs from old to modern, and in a variety of styles as well, such as showtunes and choral music to name but a few.
• Somer Singers, Somerton – This mixed-voice, four-part vocal harmony group of 15 members describe themselves as ‘a group of friends who just love to sing together’. The neighbours around Aller Village Hall are treated to the choirs’ talents every Wednesday evening when they practice and perfect their ever-growing repertoire of songs from the 60s through to the present day.

Children from All Saints Church School, with Luch Roberts leading the choir.

“All Saints Church School Choir were thrilled to take part in Montacute House Sings this autumn,” she said. “The children loved performing their Christmas songs and felt part of something truly special.

“They look forward to sharing their singing with family at Montacute House — and cherish their reindeer bell from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Staff at Montacute are preparing for the festive season. Picture: National Trust

Recording also took place during drizzly days in October, with choirs singing in the Great Hall of Montacute House.

Montacute Village Voices said: “We were delighted to be part of this. Singing in the Great Hall under the guidance of a professional choirmaster was an inspiring and unforgettable experience.”
Award-winning Chris Grabham, a county musical director, conducted four of the five choirs involved for the recording sessions.

“Singing carols is one of my favourite Christmas traditions (besides a good Christmas dinner and opening presents) and so it’s wonderful to be able to celebrate this in a slightly different way in 2025,” Chris said.

“By inviting hundreds of local singers to record various carols at Montacute House, we have created a unique Christmas project with its own individual charm which is rooted in Somerset heritage.

“It is so fantastic that we can recognise the talents of our local community alongside this beautiful festive exhibition.”

He added: “Community choirs are such an important part of both our Somerset tradition and our modern society, providing important social spaces for new people to meet, collaborate and make music together.

“As musical director of the project, it has been a pleasure to work with the National Trust in bringing this exciting new concept to life, and it has been wonderful to work with the singers involved.”

Throughout December, visitors will encounter the recorded songs as they stroll around the grounds; all in different locations and each with a festive backdrop inspired by the carols and motifs from the architecture of Montacute.

Hidden in each backdrop will be a White Hart stag for visitors to spot.

Gareth Parker, property operations manager at Montacute House, said: “Christmas is an evocative time of year, with all the senses stimulated.

“We are thrilled to be bringing the sound of the season to Montacute House with the echoes of traditional carols floating through the grounds.”

“The fact the choirs are all people from local communities makes it truly special,” he added. “We hope that they have enjoyed the experience of making the recordings as much as we’re sure that visitors to Montacute House will enjoy listening to them.

“There will be such a festive feeling of Christmas carolling around the grounds, that we have no doubt people will want to lend their own voices to the songs as well, perhaps followed by a tasty mince pie and hot chocolate.”

Montacute House Sings is open daily from November 29 to January 1, except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, from 10am to 4pm.

READ MORE: Yeovil news from your Somerset Leveller