Advent Carols

Advent Carols service is a traditional service of music and readings marking the beginning of Advent and the journey towards the miracle of Christmas.

The service mirrors the Advent journey to the celebration of the coming of the light of Christ into our world at Christmas. The church begins in darkness and expectation, then moves slowly into light, as that hope-filled message of Christmas unfolds in readings and music.

Admission

The service is open to all, ticketless and free to attend. Doors open at 5pm and the service lasts approximately 1 hour.

As many of our Advent events are very busy you can reserve a spot for early admission. Registration for this will open in late October.

Music

Advent is a time of preparation and our anthems, hymns and readings help us reflect on the needs of the world and recognise the true significance of the coming of Christ.

This year’s Advent Carol Service once again blends new and familiar musical repertoire.

The service this year will begin with Richard Marlow's Advent Responsory, composed for the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge and first heard at St Bride's last year. Its twelve individual vocal lines perfectly match the voice distrution of the singers in our own St Bride's Choir.

The service culminates with the choir performing from the altar steps and offering a rare opportunity to hear the great Marian antiphon Virgo prudentissima by the sixteenth century Flemish composer Heinrich Isaac – court composer to Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Support St Bride's

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.

There will be a retiring collection at the end of the service to support the work, ministry and music-making of St Bride's and help maintain our magnificent Wren church.

Donations can be made by cash or contactless at church or via JustGiving. A donation can also be made in advance via EventBrite if you choose to register for early admission to the service.

Do please Gift Aid your donation if you are eligible which generates an extra 25p in every £1 donated.

Additional Information

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.