For many, this service is at the heart of their Christmas preparations

Our annual performance of Britten's Ceremony of Carols will take place on Sunday 13th December at 5:30pm , performed by the upper voices of St Bride's Choir and accompanied by harp. It is preceded as usual by a short candle-lit, men's voices Evensong.

To ensure everyone's safety the number of attendees in church is limited so please register soon to avoid disappointment. This year we have welcomed a growing online community of those not able to attend services in person, so a pre-recorded version of this service will be streamed online on YouTube. Please register to Watch Online.

Seven of the eleven movements of the 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 Ceremony of Carols begins.