Join us on the feast of St Nicholas for a free performance of Britten's St Nicolas – telling the dramatic story of the fourth‑century bishop whose generosity and compassion became legendary and inspired the figure of Father Christmas.
With the help of Pickled Boys, sailors, orchestral whips, a girls chorus in the gallery, tenor soloist, and St Bride's Choir and Orchestra, Britten takes us through the life and miracles of the patron saint of sailors and children.
It is written with music of great colour and accessibility and typifies Britten's genius for composing music for the whole community; even the audience gets the chance to join in.
The figure of St Nicolas has travelled far beyond his own time. His reputation for secret generosity and care for children eventually gave rise to the familiar figure of Santa Claus or Father Christmas.
Britten's cantata shows us the man behind the tradition whose faith expressed itself in courage, kindness and joyful service. Together with our own matron saint, St Brigid, they stand among the early Christian saints as guiding lights whose generosity, protection, and miraculous provision kindle hope at the turning points of the year.
Admission
This concert is open to all, ticketless and free to attend. Doors open at 5pm and the concert lasts approximately 1 hour.
There will be a voluntary collection with a suggested donation of £15 per person to help defer the considerable costs. Without your generosity such events could not happen and we are deeply grateful for your support.
Many of our Advent events are very busy; please for early admission to the church (30 minutes before the event) to avoid disappointment.
We will hold back 125 places for later admission (15 minutes before the service starts) via the West Door 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.
Support St Bride's
St Bride's receives no state funding and is wholly reliant on – and deeply grateful for – the generous support of our visitors without which these Advent and Christmas services could not happen.
There will be a voluntary retiring collection at the end of the concert to support our work, musical tradition and help maintain our magnificent Wren church with a suggested donation of £15 per person.
Donations can be made by cash or contactless at church or via JustGiving.
You can also donate 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.
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