End of an Era for Christmas Tree Singers after 38 Years

The Christmas Tree Singers has been an institution in Luxembourg since 1988 when it was founded by Stuart Alexander (Musical Director) and Pauline Saunders (Piano Accompanist), two British expatriates who found themselves in the Grand Duchy, both having lived in Brussels for some time prior to arriving here; they have finally called it a day.

According to Stuart Alexander, they decided one summer's evening that there was a need for an amateur singing group in Luxembourg which specialised in presenting Christmas music, both religious and secular (modelled loosely on a Brussels group called “The Suppressed Songsters”).

The first concert was presented in the studio theatre of the Grand Theatre in Luxembourg City and was a joint effort involving the newly-formed singers and the various English-speaking guiding and scouting associations, and in support of the Great Ormond Street Hospital for sick children in London.

Over the following years the basic group, composed mainly of British but including Australian, Dutch, Danish, German, French, Icelandic, Irish, Italian, Luxembourgish and West Indian members, one ex member travelled all the way from Canada in 2016 in order to sing with the group, which has remained unchanged but more recently performed only in its own right without the involvement of the guiding and scouting associations. One major development was prompted by the British Ladies Club (BLC) in Luxembourg who suggested that the Singers should perform their Carols at the Christmas Market in Luxembourg City to celebrate the BLC 25th anniversary. 

Since then, the Carols in the Place d’Armes during the Christmas Market on the Saturday before Christmas became the Singers' main event. The group has also performed in several of the Luxembourg commercial shopping centres, at the Christmas Market in Trier in Germany, at the English Shop (on the Glacis, before it paved the way for Little Britain and, more recently, Home from Home in Strassen), and has presented concerts at various locations throughout Luxembourg.

According to Stuart Alexander "Being a group that only met once a year for two months, we decided not to hold auditions but to accept anyone who could hold a note and loved singing, and to donate any money received to two charities, one selected by Pauline and a second by me. Our decision to support St Joseph's was made after the second concert, thirty seven years ago". They chose a charity each, which they thought would benefit from a regular albeit small donation towards their work. He  added "Pauline chose St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney in memory of her mother who received care at St Joseph's; and I chose Break after hearing a BBC radio 4 appeal. Following a change in their charitable work we replaced Break and supported “Chicks”, a holiday retreat in the south of England, that in turn was replaced by "Give Children a Future" and the occasional donation to other local charities".

Stuart Alexander recounted "Pauline moved back to the UK in 2000 and sadly passed away after a short illness in 2008. Her role as Pianist was ably assumed by two other members of the Singers, Liz Turner and Mick Swithinbank, who continue to play for us in rehearsal and for the concerts".

2017 was a record year in terms of participants and audience at the Christmas Market and, according to several members of the audience, the event had become somewhat of a tradition in the English-speaking community.

Stuart Alexander continued: "COVID proved difficult but the Choir battled on. The decision by the Ville de Luxembourg to stop using Place d’Armes for live music however was the decision that eventually coupled with my Parkinsons made me realise my time was up... So with a slightly heavy heart therefore I think I know when to quit. I do not have the energy I had in 1988 and there are so many choirs in the Grand Duchy that sing Carols at Christmas. I always knew the day would come to hang up my baton and circumstances have done the rest".

He confided "If there is someone out there who would like to have a go at running and directing a Christmas carol choir I would be pleased to pass on the baton and some of the carol books". 

In a message to those who have participated in and supported the Singers over the years, he thanked them and the Waldorf School for letting them use their music room one night a week for nearly two months each year.

He concluded by confirming that they Christmas Tree Singers raised almost €6,000 over the past seven or eight years.