The Christmas Chorus had its beginning in February of 1980. A group of women at a party were talking about Christmas music, and someone mentioned Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols." She was sorry that she didn't hear it performed in the valley, because she thought it should be part of the traditional Christmas music. "Let's do it ourselves," someone said. Martha Sargent offered to conduct, someone else offered to organize it, and the plan was set. We would invite friends who could learn quickly, so that we didn't need too many rehearsals, and perform at the State Hospital chapel, where one of the women's husband was serving in the LDS bishopric. It was very soon decided to use authentic Middle English pronunciation, to give the text its original sound, an expert was consulted, and the work was begun. After the first performance, everyone had enjoyed themselves so much that they decided to do it again the next year, and the tradition was launched.

In the early years, the choir performed a few additional pieces, besides the Britten, and some solos and small groups filled out the program. Later on, the choir performed the whole program, presenting other sacred and Christmas music to complement the "Ceremony of Carols." No one except the director has now performed in the choir all 28 years, but many have participated for ten or fifteen years or more, in a tradition that has become part of the Christmas celebration for many of us. Because the choir meets for only two months, to prepare the concert for Christmas, many are able to participate who could not commit to a year-round choir. We have been fortunate to have a wonderful harpist, Janet Bensing Peterson, play with us for nearly twenty of our years together, and to have excellent pianists to rehearse and perform with us.

We are grateful for audience members who have come to love this music as we do, and who return every year, as well as new audience members, introduced to the "Ceremony" for the first time.

Martha Sargent has directed the Christmas Chorus for twenty-eight years. Conducting this choir was one of the main motivations for her to return to BYU in 1985 to earn a Master of Music degree in choral conducting. (She had earlier received a BA in music education.) While at BYU, she conducted the Women's Chorus for two years, and sang in Concert Choir and BYU Singers. Since 1989, she has also conducted the Utah Baroque Ensemble, a select mixed choir which specializes in the performance of early sacred music. Martha taught music at the Meridian School for eight years, and teaches private oboe lessons to junior high and high school students in the valley. She has been principal oboist in the Utah Valley Symphony for over 25 years. She and her husband, composer David Sargent, have five children and three grandchildren.
Chorus Performance Information and Program