Advent Carols

A traditional service of music and readings marking the beginning of Advent and the journey towards the light and hope of Christmas.

The Advent Carols service is the first and most dramatic of our Advent events. At the heart of the darkest and bleakest month of the year, Christians mark the dawning of a new kind of hope, and the prospect of a different kind of future, as we celebrate the coming of the light of Christ into our world.

The service mirrors this journey, beginning in darkness and expectation, then moving slowly into light, as the hope-filled message of Christmas unfolds in readings and music.

The service is open to all, ticketless and free to attend. If you would like to be sent an email reminder closer to the service please click to register. This also helps us manage numbers.

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 service will include several pieces new to St Bride’s Choir, including a musical description of Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth by the 16th century German Lutheran composer Johannes Eccard and the setting of Ave Maria by the Bavarian organist Franz Biebl which has been popularised by the vocal group Chanticleer in the USA.

The sequence of music sung from the altar steps at the end of the service will consist of three contrasting settings of the familiar medieval text There is no rose by the contemporary composers Jonathan Rathbone, Lesley-Jane Rogers and Anthony Dowlatshahi.

Download Order of Online Service (pdf)

A pre-recorded version of this service will also stream online on this page at the same time as the service in church, and on our pages at Facebook, YouTube and SoundCloud.

You can also find and subscribe to this service released as a podcast on itunes, Spotify or wherever you find your podcasts.