More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Feel super festive by singing some Christmas carols at services across Kent.
Here is our guide to some in your area:
ST MARY'S CHURCH, WEST MALLING
St Mary's Church in West Malling will host a Christmas carol concert in support of the Heart of Kent Hospice on Wednesday, December 12.
It will feature Peter Brice and his Christmas Choir singing carols old and new, readings and audience participation, starting at 7pm with doors open at 6.30pm.
There will be a 20 minute interval with drinks and canapes.
Entrance and refreshments are free, but donations to the hospice are welcome on the night or in advance at hokh.org
THE SNOWMAN, MAIDSTONE WIND SYMPHONY
Celebrate 40 years of The Snowman with a live performance of the soundtrack to accompany the iconic film at Mote Hall, Maidstone on Sunday, December 16.
The centrepiece of the first half will be The Snowman, based on the children's picture book by Raymond Briggs, with music by Howard Blake.
The family festive evening will also feature music from The Polar Express and Leroy Anderson's Sleigh Ride, while the second half will include music from The Nutcracker Suite, Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium, and Leroy Anderson's medley of carols, A Christmas Festival.
Tickets for the concert at 3.30pm cost £10 and £5 for under 11s, with an age recommendation of ages four and over. Tickets are available online via maidstonewindsymphony.org.
Steve Waterman's All Stars, featuring Steve on trumpet, Jo Fooks on tenor sax, Matt Wates on alto sax, Anthony Kerr on vibes, Andy Cleynbert on bass and Dave Barry on drums, will play jazz Christmas carols at the Alexander Centre in Preston Street, Faversham on Friday, December 14 at 8pm.
Admission is £15 with a glass of mulled wine. For tickets call 01795 594460 or or visit thealexandercentre.com
ST BARTHOLOMEW'S CHURCH, HERNE BAY
On Saturday, December 15 at 7.30pm, there will be a Christmas concert with the Kent Police Male Voice Choir.
Tickets cost £7.50 in advance from Ken Skinner on 07957 867062 or on the door.
A FAMILY CHRISTMAS, PADDOCK WOOD
Featuring Benjamin Britten's A Ceremony of Carols, there will be traditional carols for choir and audience at the concert on Sunday, December 15 at St Andrew's Church in Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood.
Music will come from Paddock Wood Choral Society, under music director Kevin Ashman, with guests Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School choir, and harpist Ellen Smith.
For tickets at £12.50 email tickets@paddockwood-choral.org.uk or visit paddockwood-choral.org.uk
A BIG BAND CHRISTMAS, CANTERBURY
St Edmund’s Festival presents the perfect way to start the Christmas season by celebrating with St Ed’s Big Band, singers and readers plus special guests, the Deptford Rivieras on Sunday, December 16 at St Edmund’s School Theatre, St Thomas Hill, Canterbury.
Tickets cost £10 and £5 for under 18s, available from ticketsource.co.uk
CANTERBURY CHORAL SOCIETY FAMILY CAROL CONCERT
Sing along to some Christmas classics with the choral society, its youth choir and the Festival Brass Ensemble in the Nave at Canterbury Cathedral with favourites including Once In Royal David’s City, In The Bleak Midwinter and O Little Town Of Bethlehem on Saturday, December 15 at 7pm.
Children in the audience will be invited to come forward to sing. You need to book at canterbury-cathedral.org
The Demelza Children’s Hospice annual fundraising carol service, a Celebration of Christmas, will be on Monday, December 18 at 7.30pm. Entry starts at £6. The service will have traditional carols, readings and performances. Call 01795 845204 or visit demelza.org.uk.
On Friday, December 21, the cathedral will be lit up as part of the Christmas campaign #FollowTheStar.
The Lumiere will be projected on to the outside of the precincts from 5.30pm, and will be part of choral evensong. The Archbishop of Canterbury will be attending.
The Lumiere has been produced in partnership with The Projection Studio.
On Sunday, December 23 at 3pm there will be a Cathedral Carol Service - a reading of seven lessons with seasonal music.
The service is seated on a first come first seated basis, with doors open at 1.30pm. There will be another, identical service on Christmas Eve at 3pm.
For more details, visit canterbury-cathedral.org/events.
There will be a Christingle service on Saturday, December 15 as 12.30pm, which marks the 50th birthday of the Christingle.
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols will be held on Friday, December 21, at 7.30pm and again on Friday, December 22, at the same time with the full cathedral choir.
There will also be a crib service on Christmas Eve at 3pm, the first Evensong of Christmas at 4.15pm and Christmas Service at Midnight on Christmas Eve at 11.30pm. For all services and details go to rochestercathedral.org.
On Friday, December 14, there will be Carols by Candlelight with the Medway Towns Brass Band and mine pie served afterwards in the Pilgrims' Hall.
On Christmas Eve there will be carols at 11.30pm followed by a midnight mass. For details of all events go to thefriars.org.uk
A CANDLELIT CHRISTMAS, TUNBRIDGE WELLS
Richard Durrant will stage a candlelit Christmas guitar concert with guests singer Amy Kakoura and violinist Nick Pynn, with seasonal music from the folk, pagan and Christian traditions at the Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells on Wednesday, December 19.
Tickets cost £18 or £19. To book call 01892 678678 or visit trinitytheatre.net
P&O FERRIES CHOIR, DOVER
Winners of Gareth Malone’s The Choir: Sing While You Work, the P&O Ferries Choir, will be giving their Christmas concert in River, near Dover, on Friday, December 21, when they will be singing traditional carols and songs from their new album, Winter Wonderland. Copies of the album will be on sale for £10 at the concert in River Parish Church, with doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. There will be drinks and nibbles afterwards and a raffle. Tickets are £5 on the door with under 16s free.
ALL SAINTS’, MAIDSTONE
The annual service of seven lessons and carols at All Saints’ Church in Mill Street, Maidstone, will be held on Saturday, December 22 at 4.30pm. It will feature the church choir and Astley Brass, directed by Andrew Williamson with Lionel Marchant and Philip Horley on organ. There will also be a christingle service for families at 4pm on Christmas Eve.
