This Christmas, join the London Philharmonic Choir‘s campaign to support homeless charity Crisis by performing a new carol, Ring the Bells by Paul Fincham.

Ring the Bells was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Choir and premiered at the Royal Albert Hall in 2017.  The score is now available from publisher Boosey & Hawkes and the composer is donating his royalties to Crisis so every performance will contribute towards the charity’s plan to end homelessness.

We are inviting choirs around the UK to perform Ring the Bells and support Crisis’s campaign.  Join the choral force behind the Crisis plan to end homelessness by adding Ring the Bells to your Christmas repertoire list.

Frequently Asked Questions

My choir would like to perform Ring the Bells, where can we buy scores?
Scores are available to purchase directly from the publisher, Boosey & Hawkes.

Can we listen to a sample of the carol before we buy the music?
Yes, a new recording by the London Philharmonic Choir has been released on the LPO label.  All proceeds from the sale of our recording will be donated to Crisis.  Stream on Spotify or download from Apple Music.

Are there any voice part rehearsal tracks to help our singers learn the carol?
Yes, rehearsal tracks are available on Paul Fincham’s SoundCloud channel.  The composer recommends the following metronome markings:

– bar 1 dotted minim = 66
– bar 42 minim = 66
– bar 62 crotchet = 100
– bar 81 minim = 66
– bar 101 dotted crotchet = 74

My choir has programmed Ring the Bells, how do we pay our royalties to Crisis?
Royalty fees are paid to PRS for Music and PRS for Music will then pass payments onto the composer or other beneficiaries.  You can pay PRS for Music in one of three ways:

• Through your venue: venues will often have a licence with PRS for Music for live performances, and will arrange the royalty payments to PRS for Music for performances at their venue on your behalf.
• Through your annual Making Music membership renewal: Making Music holds an umbrella licence which covers performances by their member groups in unlicensed venues.
• Directly to PRS for Music: you can pay them directly – this may apply to Making Music members who are festivals.

Source: https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/resource/how-pay-performing-rights-prs-fees

As well as performing Ring the Bells, are there other ways we can fundraise for Crisis?
Yes, we’re encouraging choirs performing Ring the Bells to have retiring collections at their services and concerts in aid of Crisis.  Crisis’s website provides information about how to make donations.  There are also several non-musical campaigns managed by Crisis.  Details are available on their website.

Does Crisis have any fundraising materials we can use?
Yes, fundraising materials can be downloaded plus collection tins and fundraising packs can be ordered from the Crisis website.

There’s no Crisis Skylight centre near where I live, can my choir fundraise for a different homeless charity?
Yes, we’re conscious that choirs without a Crisis Skylight centre nearby might want to support other homeless charities or shelters in their communities.  Any support towards ending homelessness is of value to this project.

We’re a church choir and our church supports a local Winter Night Shelter, can we fundraise for them instead?
Yes, if you have an existing relationship with a local Winter Night Shelter, participation in this project by performing Ring the Bells should complement not devalue that relationship.  Any support towards ending homelessness is of value to this project.

Why is the London Philharmonic Choir supporting Crisis‘s campaign?
The Choir is associated with Crisis via the shared patronage of HRH Princess Alexandra and the music workshops that the London Philharmonic Orchestra does with Crisis members each year.  The Choir and the carol’s composer, Paul Fincham, were keen to collaborate on a fundraising project that would benefit a charity supporting those living with homelessness so are delighted that the Ring the Bells project has brought all these related organisations together.

Is there a programme note available that we can use for our performance?
Yes, please feel free to use the following text:

Ring the Bells
Paul Fincham (1959–)

Ring the Bells was commissioned by the London Philharmonic Choir and its first concert performances were given by the choir at the Raymond Gubbay Classic Carols concerts at the Royal Albert Hall on 20 December 2017. The carol has an original text with lively outer sections, a more contemplative middle section based around a chorale theme, and a cheeky bow to The Holly and the Ivy. The composer would like to thank Tess Bartley who assisted with the text for the chorale section of Ring the Bells and also provided encouragement and the exchange of ideas throughout the composition of the piece. Ring the Bells is published by Boosey & Hawkes and was included in the Crisis carol service at Southwark Cathedral in 2018, having been formally adopted by Crisis in support of their plan to end homelessness. A recording of Ring the Bells by the London Philharmonic Choir is available for download from the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s label (https://www.lpo.org.uk/recordings). All royalties from that recording and from sales of the sheet music have been pledged to Crisis. For more information visit https://lpc.org.uk/ringthebells/ [This evening, there will be a retiring collection in aid of Crisis/your local homeless charity.] 

Crisis is the national charity for homeless people and is committed to ending homelessness. Every day they see the devastating impact homelessness has on people’s lives. Every year Crisis works side by side with thousands of people, to help them rebuild their lives and leave homelessness behind for good. Through their pioneering research into the causes and consequences of homelessness and the solutions to it, they know what it will take to end it. Together with others who share their resolve, Crisis brings knowledge, experience and determination to campaign for the changes that will solve the homelessness crisis once and for all. Since Crisis’s inception in 1967, they have been driven to end the injustice of homelessness. They know thousands of people live in places they can never call home: isolated, invisible and forgotten. It is a devastating experience, leaving people vulnerable and feeling worthless. Crisis know it doesn’t have to be this way, that homelessness is not inevitable and that together we can end it. To support Crisis’s plan to end homelessness, visit https://lpc.org.uk/endhomelessness/

Do I need to let the London Philharmonic Choir know if my choir is performing Ring the Bells?
We’d love to hear from choirs who’ve decided to programme Ring the Bells.  If you’d like to email us, please contact our Chairman, Tessa Bartley, on chair@lpc.org.uk.  Please also remember to share any photos and video clips of your choir relating to Ring the Bells on social media, to tag the LPC on @lpchoir and use the hashtags #EndHomelessness and #RingTheBells.