Britten – A Ceremony of Carols

As is traditional in Advent, St Bride’s Choir will be singing Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols on Sunday 15th December at 5:30pm.

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

Seven of the eleven movements of A Ceremony of Carols 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.

This service is preceded by a shortened form of Evensong, sung by men’s 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.

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.

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.