Continuing the celebration of their 75th Anniversary Season the Watford Philharmonic Society will once again fill the Watford Colosseum with the joy of Christmas when they present their annual festival of carols.  This year the concert will be held on Wednesday, 16th December, starting at 7.30pm.  A popular and regular feature of the festive season the evening is a must for local music lovers.

The choir and orchestra will perform a mixture of well loved Christmas songs and carols, together with some beautiful but less well known pieces, and there will be plenty of opportunity for the audience to join in.  A special mention should be made of a performance of Brother Heinrich’s Christmas – a fable with music by John Rutter and narrated by the Watford Phil’s Vice President Richard Baker OBE. As part of their on-going plan to introduce and encourage children to enjoy and participate in music the Watford Phil will be joined by the choir from Kingsway Junior School. 

Past conductor Graham Garton will be welcomed as a special guest. Now 80 years old Graham first sang with the Watford Phil at the age of 18 and in 1967 became only the second conductor in the Society’s history, working with the Phil for 23 years.  He now lives in Lincolnshire where he still teaches music. 

Richard Baker OBE lived for 25 years at Radlett, so it was very much as a local boy that he was invited to become Vice-President of the Watford Philharmonic Society, but of course he also achieved national fame thanks to a broadcasting career lasting well over half a century.

After three years in the Royal Navy during World War Two and a similar period at Cambridge University, where he spent most of his time acting, Richard joined the BBC as a Third Programme announcer in 1950. In 1954 he became one of the BBC's first Television Newsreaders and continued in that role for 28 years. He also branched out into other broadcasting fields, introducing the “Last Night of the Proms” for over thirty years and hosting Radio 4's "Start the Week" for 17 years.

Richard has had a lifelong interest in music and his nine books include biographies of Mozart and Schubert. He also wrote two naval biographies and edited "Music of the Sea" for the National Maritime Museum.

 Nowadays he indulges his twin loves of music and the sea by hosting Music Festivals at Sea for P and O. However Richard is delighted to be at home for Christmas 2009 and able to take part in the Watford Phil's seasonal celebration.

Graham Garton is Conductor Emeritus of the Watford Philharmonic Society, which he directed for over twenty years.

A former examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, he is an experienced international adjudicator for major music festivals and has published a large number of compositions, particularly choral and solo vocal music.

In 1989 he moved to Bermuda, where he directed the Bermuda Philharmonic Society, and became Principal of the Bermuda Academy of Music.  Members of our Society made a memorable trip to Bermuda to join Graham and his local choir in a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. 

Since returning home in 2000, he has lived in Lincolnshire where he is currently Organist & Choirmaster at St. Botolph’s Church, Quarrington and Musical Director of the Sleaford Choral Society, with whom he and his wife Barbara have recently celebrated Graham’s 80th birthday season with a varied programme of concerts and social events.