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.

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.

We will hold back 125 places for later admission 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 stb@stbrides.com.

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. We begin with Richard Marlow’s Advent Responsory, composed for the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is written for 12 voice parts which exactly match the ranges of the 12 singers in the St Bride's Choir.

The main body of the service includes Peter Tranchell’s lively setting of Eleanor Farjeon’s poem People look East and features a virtuoso organ part.

The service ends, as usual, with the choir on the altar steps singing three versions of the Ave Maria. This sequence begins with the iconic setting by the Tudor composer, Robert Parsons, followed by that of Anton Bruckner, in the 200th anniversary year of his birth, and concludes with a more recent composition by the British composer Howard Skempton.

Support St Bride's

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.

St Bride's is wholly reliant on and deeply grateful for the generous support of our visitors and congregation.

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.