A Ceremony of Carols – Benjamin Britten

As is traditional in Advent, St Bride’s Choir will be singing Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols on Sunday 14th December at 5:30pm.

The service is open to all, ticketless and free to attend and last approximately 1 hour.

Many of our Advent events are very busy; please reserve a spot for early admission to the church (30 minutes before the event) to avoid disappointment.

100 places will be held for later admission via the West Door (15 minutes before the service starts) for those who arrive on the day without registration.

If you need assistance with this please contact the office on 020 7427 0133 or email [email protected].

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St Bride’s is wholly reliant on and deeply grateful for the generous support of our visitors and congregation without which this service could not happen.

This event is free to attend, but we hope you might consider making a donation to support our work, our magnificent Wren church, and the internationally-acclaimed music-making you will hear.

You can make a Donation on EventBrite when completing your reservation; or donate by cash or contactless at church; or via our JustGiving page.

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A Ceremony of Carols was premiered in London by the women’s voices of the Fleet Street Choir so it is fitting that it has become such a central part of our Advent here at the Journalists’ Church in Fleet Street.

This service is preceded by a shortened form of Evensong, sung by the lower choir voices which complements the Britten by using two of the same elements – plainsong, which is used for the responses, psalm and canticles, and medievalism, with a piece of seasonal medieval music ending the service just before the A Ceremony of Carols begins.

Those who have attended this service in the past have found it to be a profoundly devotional experience and a time of calm amidst the bustle of the Christmas period.

Seven of the eleven movements were written in 1942 as a homesick Britten endured a perilous boat journey across the Atlantic from America. It sets medieval texts by poet Gerald Bullett and embodies the spirit of hope and joy in our anticipation of Christmas.

The work opens and closes with the chant Hodie Christus natus est (Today Christ is born) sung in procession. The chant is also the basis of the poignant and dramatic harp Interlude which is both at the centre of the whole work and its longest movement. We are delighted that harpist Sue Rothstein will once again be joining us.

Directions to St Bride's Church and information about accessibility are available on our Visit Us page.

If you register for early admission please arrive 30 minutes before the service. Your place may need to be released to others queuing if you arrive later than this.

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