Stonehenge
Photo by Ash Mills
This Christmas Salisbury Cathedral will welcome many hundreds of people to its special Christmas celebrations, with services, concerts, events and Twilight Tower tours taking place throughout December. Regular Daily services will continue as usual.
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SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER 2014
Family Evensong at 17.30
There’s a special Evensong this year for children and their families, starting at 17.30.
Family activities from 14.00-17.00
If you want to spend a day at the Cathedral there are Family Activities before Evensong – starting at 14.00 there’s an afternoon of storytelling, decoration making and a delightful Christmouse trail around the Cathedral. See the website for details.
SUNDAY 14 DECEMBER 2014
BBC Wiltshire Carol Service at 15.15
BBC Wiltshire’s popular Carol Service will take place on Sunday (14 December) with music from the Salisbury Cathedral Choir, conducted by David Halls, Director of Music, and the Royal Artillery Band conducted by Captain Tony Adams. The singer and pianist Laura Doggett, a BBC Introducing Artist, will also perform a solo, Silent Night.
Readings will be done by local BBC broadcasters:
Graham Rogers (BBC Wiltshire)
Marie Lennon (BBC Wiltshire)
Graham Seaman (BBC Wiltshire)
Sue Davies(BBC Wiltshire)
Lee Stone (BBC Wiltshire)
Sally Taylor (BBC South Today)
The Organist is John Challenger and the Very Revd June Osborne, Dean of Salisbury will deliver the Welcome and Opening Prayer.
The service will be broadcast on BBC Wiltshire at 18.00 on Christmas Eve and 10.00 on Christmas Day.
Tickets are available from Salisbury Playhouse.
SUNDAY 21 and MONDAY 22 DECEMBER 2014
The Christmas Procession at 17.00 (Sunday 21 December) and 19.00 (Monday 22 December)
The story of the first Christmas is retold in our hugely popular Carol Service. Readings, lovely choral music provided by the entire Cathedral Choir, and favourite carols culminates in the Bishop blessing the crib at the centre of the Cathedral.
David Halls, Directors of Music said: “The procession starts at the West end with the choir singing an arrangement of the traditional carol ‘In Dulci Jubilo’ then move Eastwards, via the crib scene as some well-known congregational carols are sung.
“Other choir pieces include John Rutter’s beautiful ‘There is a flower’, one of my personal favourites, a chorus from Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ and a chorus from Handel’s ‘Messiah’.
“There is also arrangement of a solo song by Richard Strauss, The Three Holy Kings from the Orient, which evocatively describes the visit of the three kings to the crib.”
During the advent hymn ‘O Come All Ye Faithfull’ the Bruce Munro ‘Star of Bethlehem’ installation, telling the story of the wise men as they follow the star to Bethlehem, will be projected onto the font.
Canon Precentor, the Revd Tom Clammer said: “The nativity sits at the heart of the cathedral as a focus for our Christmas worship. It serves to makes us stop and think about this remarkable event, and to reflect on the past year and the year to come. By joining together in song and prayer, we celebrate the birth of Christ.
“Bruce Munro’s Star of Bethlehem is a touching addition to our storytelling, providing an elegant expression of the journey towards the birth and a visual aid to reflection.”
David Halls, Director of Music, conducts the Cathedral Choir of boy and girl choristers and lay-vicars. The organist is John Challenger.
N.B. Those who wish to arrive early will be able to queue under cover in the Cloisters where we’ll be serving mulled wine, tea & coffee with mince pies and hot turkey rolls with cranberry sauce, from 3pm on Sunday, 21 December and 5pm on Monday 22 December.
There can be no admission once all seats are taken. Parking is available for Disabled Blue Badge holders, though there is no public parking. For further information visit the Cathedral’s website
WEDNESDAY 24th DECEMBER
Nativity Service – Follow that Star!
Nativity Service 16.00
Our special nativity service, Follow The Star, allows the children of the congregation to join the star’s journey to Bethlehem to find the new born baby Jesus. Sharing the special story of the first Christmas with them will be the Salisbury Cathedral Junior choir – and a real donkey courtesy of Farmer Giles Farmstead!
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REFECTORY CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS
Until Tuesday 23 December – 9.30 to 17.30 (last orders 17.15)
Christmas Turkey lunch is available every lunch time and cream tea will be available after Choral Evensong.
Christmas Eve 9.30 – 16.00
Boxing Day to Monday 4 January 2015 – 9.30 to 16.30 (last orders 16.15).
Blow away the cobwebs away on Boxing Day, stop off during a brisk walk and visit us for coffee, lunch (not a turkey in sight) or tea and cakes!
