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RSNO Christmas Concert featuring

The Presented by Josie Long Usher Hall, Edinburgh Fri 19 Dec 2025 6.30pm Glasgow Royal Concert Hall Sat 20 Dec 2025 2pm

RSNO Christmas Concert featuring The Snowman Welcome to the RSNO’s Christmas Concert for an extra-special feast of Yuletide cheer! This family-friendly concert is packed with your favourite sing-along carols and festive melodies, including The Penguin Song and The Twelve Days of Christmas. And of course there’s the enchanting film The Snowman, shown on the big screen, accompanied by the Orchestra and narrated by our star guest, comedian Josie Long. It’s the perfect start to your Christmas!

Stephen Doughty Conductor Josie Long Presenter RSNO Youth Choruses Patrick Barrett Director, RSNO Youth Choruses Alison McNeill Associate Director, RSNO Youth Choruses RSNO Changed Voices Frikki Walker Director, RSNO Changed Voices Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Christmas Overture Howard Blake

The Snowman

Narrator: Josie Long INTERVAL Leroy Anderson

A Christmas Festival Traditional (arr. Doughty)

Mary Had a Baby

Andrew Lippa (arr. Crawley)

Almost Christmas Philip Lane

Two Pieces from Old Christmas Music Bring a Torch Gaudete Traditional (arr. Doughty)

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Rick and Sylvia Powell (arr. Bock)

Peace, Peace

Leroy Anderson

Sleigh Ride

Kevin Stannard (arr. Doughty)

The Penguin Song Mike Batt

A Christmas Overture R Alex Anderson (arr. Higgins)

Mele Kalikimaka

Felix Mendelssohn (arr. Willcocks)

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

HARK! THE HERALD ANGELS SING Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the newborn king; Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.’ Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies, With the angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem!’ Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born king.’ Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord, Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of a Virgin’s womb: Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, Hail the incarnate Deity, Pleased as man with man to dwell, Jesus, our Emmanuel.

Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born king.’ Hail the Heaven-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness! Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings; Mild He lays His glory by, Born that man no more may die, Born to raise the sons of earth, Born to give them second birth. Hark! The herald angels sing, ‘Glory to the new-born king.’

If viewing these notes at the concert, please do so considerately and not during performances. Please silence all mobile telephones and alerts, and refrain from taking photographs, without flash, until the end of each piece.

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Josie Long Presenter

Josie Long is a multi-award-winning comedian, writer, podcaster and film-maker. She is a trailblazer of the UK comedy industry, as the first woman to be nominated three times for the Edinburgh Comedy Award (2010-12). Her nine critically acclaimed tours showcase her unique and powerfully original voice, and have been performed globally to sell-out shows. Her various podcasts and original radio shows have garnered her a worldwide audience of dedicated listeners and multiple awards. Josie is an avid film-maker, having written and performed in two short films and a full-length feature called Super November. She’s been on all the TV channels, and has two comedy specials currently streaming; Cara Josephine is available on Amazon Prime, and Something Better is available on Netflix. Her debut book, a collection of short stories called Because I Don’t Know What You Mean and What You Don’t, was published in 2023.

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Every Child, Every Community

Your support can brighten a child’s day. Will you help us bring the joy of music to children across Scotland? Scan the QR code to be taken to our donate page or visit rsno.org.uk/every-child

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Stephen Doughty Conductor

Hammond’s Requiem for the Lost Souls of the Titanic, performed exactly 100 years since the liner went down, and further European premieres of both Stuart Scott’s Requiem Brevis, which saw the 100-strong choir separated into eight choirs spaced around the audience, and Christopher Marshall’s Earthsong. Stephen particularly enjoys working with amateur singers, not least leading regular singing days frequently involving up to 800 amateur singers. He was Musical Director of Edinburgh Bach Choir for seven years and has enjoyed directing the Garleton Singers for over 30 years, performing with them recently at the Lammermuir Festival.

Stephen Doughty has been Chorus Director of the RSNO Chorus since the start of the 2022:23 Season. Since his arrival the Chorus has seen an influx of new members, and an abundance of varied and critically acclaimed performances, including Verdi’s Requiem, Britten’s War Requiem, Bruckner’s E Minor Mass and the Scottish premiere of Sir James MacMillan’s Christmas Oratorio. He has also directed the Chorus in new and imaginative programmes in their own right, including Rheinberger’s Mass in E flat for double choir, and concerts with percussion and organ featuring Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, the European premiere of McIntyre’s Missa Brevis and Ives’ final major choral work, Psalm 90.

Stephen plays harpsichord/organ continuo and orchestral piano and has given frequent organ recitals, including several on the grand Mulholland Organ in the Ulster Hall, Belfast. He is also in demand as an arranger and orchestrator, with a large portfolio of work particularly for young voices. He has produced a plethora of arrangements of the music of pianist Christopher Norton, including two publications of piano duets and a suite for wind sextet, and has received commissions from Children’s Classic Concerts, the Ulster Orchestra and the RSNO. Commissions from the BBC have seen his work being performed on BBC Alba and at the Last Night of the Proms, and his pieces feature on several recordings, including with the RSNO Chorus.

Stephen’s previous 12-year tenure as Chorus Master of Belfast Philharmonic Choir included a number of world premieres, most significantly James Whitbourn’s The Seven Heavens and Philip

Stephen is an Examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.

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Royal Scottish National Orchestra

Piano Concertos (soloist: Benjamin Grosvenor), conducted by Elim Chan, two Diapason d’Or awards (Denève/Roussel 2007; Denève/Debussy 2012) and eight GRAMMY Award nominations. In recent years, the RSNO has cultivated an international reputation for world-class film, television and videogame soundtrack recording. The Orchestra has recorded for BAFTA-winning series Silo (Apple TV) and worked with the likes The Orchestra’s artistic team is led by Danish of GRAMMY Award-winning composer Lorne conductor Thomas Søndergård, who was Balfe on Life on Our Planet (Netflix). Other notable appointed Music Director in 2018. In March 2024, titles include Nuremberg (Sony Pictures), Now You Austrian-born conductor, composer and musician See Me: Now You Don’t (Lionsgate), Horizon: An Patrick Hahn became the Orchestra’s Principal American Saga (Warner Bros) and Star Wars Guest Conductor. Outlaws (Ubisoft). The Orchestra records at its bespoke in-house facility in Glasgow. The RSNO is supported by the Scottish Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company became the Scottish National Orchestra in 1950 and was awarded Royal Patronage in 1977. Many renowned conductors have contributed to its success, including Sir John Barbirolli, Walter Susskind, Sir Alexander Gibson, Neeme Järvi, Walter Weller, Alexander Lazarev and Stéphane Denève.

Government and is one of the Scottish National Performing Companies. The Orchestra performs across Scotland, including concerts in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Perth and Inverness, and appears regularly at the Edinburgh International Festival and BBC Proms. The RSNO has made recent tours to China and Europe. The RSNO has a worldwide reputation for the quality of its recordings, receiving a 2020 Gramophone Classical Music Award for Chopin’s

The RSNO believes that music can enrich lives, and aims to inspire, educate and entertain people throughout Scotland and beyond with its performances, recordings and engagement programmes. Supporting schools, families, young professionals and wider communities, the RSNO delivers high-quality initiatives for all ages and abilities.

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On Stage FIRST VIOLIN Maya Iwabuchi LEADER

CELLO Pei-Jee Ng

PRINCIPAL

HORN Amadea Dazeley-Gaist

Shlomy Dobrinsky

Betsy Taylor Kennedy Leitch Yuuki Bouterey-Ishido Rachael Lee Sarah Digger Robert Anderson Gunda Baranauskaitė

Alison Murray Diana Sheach David McClenaghan Martin Murphy

DOUBLE BASS Nikita Naumov

Katie Bannister Jason Lewis

Michael Rae Moray Jones Alexandre Cruz dos Santos Chris Sargeant

TROMBONE Dávur Juul Magnussen

FLUTE Oliver Roberts

PRINCIPAL BASS TROMBONE

ASSOCIATE LEADER

Tamás Fejes

ASSISTANT LEADER

Patrick Curlett Caroline Parry Ursula Heidecker Allen Elizabeth Bamping Lorna Rough Susannah Lowdon Alan Manson Liam Lynch Veronica Marziano Stewart Webster SECOND VIOLIN Emma Oldfield GUEST PRINCIPAL

Marion Wilson Jacqueline Speirs Nigel Mason Emily Nenniger Paul Medd Anne Bünemann Sophie Lang Robin Wilson Kirstin Drew Colin McKee Helena Rose VIOLA Tom Dunn PRINCIPAL

Felix Tanner Asher Zaccardelli Susan Buchan Nicola McWhirter Claire Dunn Lisa Rourke Maria Trittinger Francesca Hunt Beth Woodford

PRINCIPAL

TRUMPET Christopher Hart PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

Cillian Ó Ceallacháin Alastair Sinclair

Janet Richardson

TUBA John Whitener

PRINCIPAL PICCOLO

PRINCIPAL

OBOE Adrian Wilson

TIMPANI Tom Hunter

GUEST PRINCIPAL

PRINCIPAL

Henry Clay

PRINCIPAL COR ANGLAIS

CLARINET Timothy Orpen PRINCIPAL

Duncan Swindells

PRINCIPAL BASS CLARINET

BASSOON Jamie Louise White ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL

Paolo Dutto

GUEST PRINCIPAL

PERCUSSION Simon Lowdon PRINCIPAL

Peter Murch Stuart Semple HARP Pippa Tunnell KEYBOARD Lynda Cochrane

PRINCIPAL CONTRABASSOON

Orchestra list and programme details correct at time of going to print.

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RSNO Youth Chorus

The RSNO Youth Chorus is one of the leading children and youth choirs in the UK. Formed in 1978 by Jean Kidd, the Youth Chorus is currently led by director Patrick Barrett and boasts over 400 members aged 7 to 18. It has built up a considerable reputation singing under some of the world’s most distinguished conductors and appearing on radio and television. RSNO Youth Chorus members sing regularly with Scotland’s National Orchestra in major concert halls and festivals throughout the country, and in

2021 performed at COP26 in Glasgow. The Youth Chorus has also sung at BBC concerts and regularly appears at the Edinburgh International Festival. The RSNO Youth Chorus gratefully acknowledges support from Dunclay Charitable Trust, Rowena Alison Goffin Charitable Trust, W A Cargill Fund and W M Mann Foundation.

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RSNO YOUTH CHORUS 1 Aarnav Bhaat Anna Davis Ayva Kyle Bernadette Xin-Ying Kho Bronagh McKinght Bushan Gaddale Cara Thomson Catrin Ogle Colette Balmer Daisy Quinn Elise Job Elishka Foster Eunice Oyedokun Faith Junyen Wong Fiamma Milligan Forbes Louden Gabriella Mills Grace Nickson Grace Romans Honor Osmond Ingrid McGilvery Joy Lam Kiaan Kadwe Kirsty McLean Layan Shaaban Lilianna Nemeth Lucia Fernandez- McCann Melissa Maffia Molly Kerr Neave Maclachlan Nethra Mantrala Netra Gaikwad Olivia Tang Osazee Orhionkapayo Penelope Leithead Rachel Ayers

RSNO YOUTH CHORUS STAFF RSNO YOUTH CHORUS DIRECTOR Patrick Barrett Training Choir, Children’s Chorus 2 and Youth Chorus 2

Rebecca Penman Rhea Elizabeth Oommen Rita El Obbadi Rory Cameron Saffron Spybey Sofia Jorge Sophie Waller Yiyi Myler Zach Baxter Zara Patel RSNO YOUTH CHORUS 2 Aaleah McAulay Abigail Gallacher Abigail Hughes Ailsa Hutchinson Aimee Morton Alannah Clancy Alec Buckley Alexandra Cartmell Alicia Idessane Alma Correal-Jarrett Amelia Mashwani Amelia Philip Amy Sanderson Ana Ryburn-Thomson Anna Arbuckle Anshi Sai Vanga Bea Courtial Bennett Gowans Blair McKinlay Cara Mackay Charlotte Leathem Charlotte Muir Connie Hunter Cora Robertson Cora Welstead Diana Lizer

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Alison McNeill Youth Chorus 1 and Children’s Chorus 1

Edie Dunn Eilidh Hughes Eilidh McIntyre Elizabeth Poet Ellie Toner Emilia Ewer Emilia Rathbone Emily Hathaway Emily McKenzie Emma Little Evie Diamond Gregor Townsley Greta Ingleby Hannah Binu Holly Rodger Hope Henderson Indii McCulloch Iris Stalin Isla Balitbit Izzy Hughes Jayden Odebeatu Jessica Ewer Jessica-May Payne Jeviay Dela Santa Jodie Sumpter Jude Tait Kate Mosley Katie Rourke Kimberley McFarlane Leila Osmond Lia McCulloch Louisa Greenhill Louisa Sheridan Louise Morris Lucy Arbuckle Magnus Holden Maia Fernandez- McCann Max Biankin Megan Parsons

Mia Tomb Mirren McGonigle Misha Gupta Nellie Heinrich Nirvana Balideh Nuala-Maria McKnight Olivia Cocozza Olivia Tait Orla Gilligan Rachel Cook Rachel Snaith Rebecca Greig Roberto Merayo Lluna Rosa Caughie Rowie Bryce Sage Plakaris-Knight Sarah Oliver Sarah Orimoloye Shreeya Pandit Sophie Hall Stella MacEachran Stella Sorenson Summer Wang Susie Wu Tess Fleming Thea Morag Heinrich Thomas Wyllie Timur Kassimkulov Valentina Campanella Winona Shashidhara Yasmin Patel Yi Han Dong Zoe Drysdale

MUSICIANSHIP STAFF Ellie Digger Heather Drysdale Phil Gault Emily Hathaway Mairi Leggatt Claire McCue Sarah Skerritt Laura Smith Aimee Toshney Frikki Walker

VOCAL COACHES Daniela Hathaway Alison McNeill Laura Smith PIANISTS Edward Cohen Judith Keaney

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RSNO Changed Voices

Changed Voices is a satellite group of the RSNO Youth Chorus for boys whose voices are changing. The choir was established in 2006, with generous support from The Gannochy Trust, with the aim of encouraging boys to continue singing as their voices are changing. Studies have shown that careful singing through the changing process allows boys to develop and maintain a healthy singing technique. Changed Voices continues the fine RSNO Youth Chorus tradition of singing and musicianship taught in a lively and fun way, while giving the voice time to develop before members move into adult choirs. Changed Voices has given performances at various high-profile engagements, including guest appearances on BBC Radio Scotland’s Classics Unwrapped and at the RSNO’s Gala Ball.

To celebrate the group’s 20th anniversary, composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad and librettist Kate Wakeling were commissioned to create a piece of music inspired by the group. You Have to be Realistic About a Perfect Day received its world premiere in November 2025 with the Changed Voices choir and the RSNO. Director of Changed Voices, Frikki Walker, retires at the end of 2025 after 18 years, and Andrew McTaggart will step into the role from January 2026. The group is also coached by Phil Gault.

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Aarush Bhat Advay Kadwe Alastair NG Angus Young Calum Tamata Daniyal Sŏlić-Ansari Ewan Pilsworth Fergus Young Finlay Bryce Idrissa Thiam Jack Hammond Joe Thunder Jordy McLean

RSNO CHANGED VOICES STAFF DIRECTOR Frikki Walker VOCAL COACH Phil Gault PIANIST Tim Mills STAFF ASSISTANTS Claire Bryan Katie Bryan Rennie MacKechnie Rachel Morrison Nicole Swindells

Keir Cameron Kjartan Magnusson Lev Sorokin Logan Adam Magnus Logan Matthew Clarkson Murray Graham Nicholas Milne Odunayo Orimoloye William Philip Yashar Pourghazi Yashvardhan Jain

Frikki Walker

Director, RSNO Changed Voices

Frikki Walker is a choral conductor with many years’ experience of conducting boys’ changing voices. He has conducted the RSNO Changed Voices since 2009 and for many years conducted the Changed Voices of the National Youth Choir of Scotland. He also created and directed Glasgow Cambiata, a combination of boys’ choirs from schools in the area who have performed to great acclaim with the RSNO. Frikki is Director of Music at St Mary’s Cathedral, Glasgow, where his choir has earned an international reputation for excellence through its regular broadcasts on radio and TV. He founded and conducts the Royal School of Church Music Scottish Voices, and has served as a guest conductor and examiner at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He has recently retired as a member of staff at the High School of Glasgow, where his Chamber Choir has won many awards, including BBC Songs of Praise Senior School Choir of the Year, and made various radio and TV appearances. Frikki has worked with all of Scotland’s most prestigious choirs and has run workshops and adjudicated at music festivals all over the country. He is also an accomplished organist, singer and composer.

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Patrick Barrett

Director, RSNO Youth Choruses

In opera, Patrick collaborates with leading UK companies such as the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and Garsington Opera, where he prepares youth choruses for mainstage productions and world premieres, including Carmen under Antonello Manacorda and Otello under Sir Antonio Pappano. Previously, he was the conductor of the University of Birmingham’s Upper Voices Choir, University of Reading Chamber Choir and Brockham Choral Society.

Alison McNeill Patrick Barrett is a conductor specialising in choral music and opera. He is currently Chorus Director of the RSNO Youth Choruses, Royal Opera House Youth Opera Company, Irish Youth Choir (14-17 years) and the award-winning Farnham Youth Choirs. Recent highlights include conducting the RSNO Youth Chorus in performances with Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Benjamin Grosvenor and Nicola Benedetti, as well as preparing them for the recording of Gaspard’s Christmas by Jonathan Dove. Patrick also led Farnham Youth Choir to two gold medals at the World Choir Games 2024 in New Zealand. He has premiered new works by Errollyn Wallen, Jonathan Brigg, Emma O’Halloran and DJ R.Kitt, and is a regular guest conductor with the National Youth Choirs 9-15 Years. Patrick’s commitment to youth choral music extends to preparing choruses for the Edinburgh International Festival, and for the Dunedin Consort, where his work often features in major international performances. As a dedicated music educator, Patrick has worked with organisations including The Sixteen, BBC Singers, Wigmore Hall and Aldeburgh Young Musicians, and has spoken at the Post Primary Music Teachers Association in Ireland.

Associate Director, Children’s Chorus 1 and Youth Chorus 1

Alison McNeill is a trailblazing Scottish artist whose work blurs boundaries between classical, folk and world music. She is a soprano, conductor and fiddle player with a rich and diverse musical career. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland with a Masters in Performance, Alison further honed her craft studying with the late Teresa Berganza in Spain. Passionate about cross-disciplinary and immersive performances, Alison draws inspiration from world music and diverse cultures. In a busy and varied career, she has performed as a soloist all over the UK, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Japan, Qatar, Pakistan, Kenya, USA and Mexico. Alison’s career highlights include singing as a soloist with Ditirambo Early Music Ensemble in

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Mexico, Carmina Burana and Verdi’s Requiem with the RSNO in Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, winning the Andrés Segovia Prize for Spanish Song in Spain (the only non-native speaker to win this award), headlining international festivals with folk-rock band Reely Jiggered, broadcasts on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio 4 and Pakistani and Mexican national TV, and workshops with children in Japan, Kenya and Pakistan. Alison is the newly appointed Youth Chorus Master at Opera North, Associate Director of the RSNO Youth Chorus and Conductor of the National Youth Choir of Scotland’s National Boys Choir (Treble Voices). She is Director of Coats Choral, who perform with Glasgow Chamber

Orchestra in Paisley Abbey, and Director of the RCS’s Summer Choral Courses, leading intensive training for young singers and conductors from the UK and beyond. She is Director of Voices of Argyll, who recently returned from a tour of Denmark; have performed to sold-out audiences at the O2 Academy, collaborating with renowned folk-pop band Beluga Lagoon; given a new commission at the Scottish Parliament; and perform to rural audiences using Argyll’s scenic landscape as their concert hall. Alison’s growing reputation as a choral leader has led to invitations to Doha, where she served as Head Judge for the Qatar Choir of the Year Competition.