Christmas Angels Arrive Early!
Christmas came early this week when we got to see some angels in the flesh at a special charity event.
Classical Christmas
For the eighth year in a row well known presenters and performers - including classic and opera singer Katherine Jenkins OBE - flocked to London’s Holy Trinity Church for a festive carol service, and we assisted with the seating by donating 245 black polyprop chairs and ten white folding fan back chairs.
The yearly event is set up by charity the Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts, which helps disadvantaged and terminally ill young people to access the arts. Thanks to a variety of nationwide projects, links with schools and teacher training, young people can get involved with many different activities - such as poetry, painting, opera, architecture - to name just a few!
Primary performance
Taking place under the soaring decorative arches of the 19th Century Holy Trinity Church, the carol concert attracts a large audience every year, with visitors singing along to holiday classics like Once in Royal David’s City, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing, accompanied by a Freshfields Choir and CMS Chorale.
This was just some of the entertainment scheduled during the evening, and as well as being able to sing along, there was some amazing performances by huge selling artists Colvestone Primary School Choir returned to give a fantastic rendition of Away in a Manger.
Festive fiddle
One of the first well known acts to fill the venue with magically festive music was renowned violinist Jennifer Pike - who played the Lark Ascending and White Christmas. Not long after, platinum selling singer Katherine Jenkins brought a sparkle of glamour as well as her astounding voice to the location, with beautiful performances of Silent Night, Hallelujah and O Holy Night.
In addition to singing, the artist also took a few moments to highlight the work of the organisation, explaining how her past experience as a teacher taught her how important the arts are to young people and their development.
Frontline letters...
The evening was also a chance to remember the spirit and peace of Christmas, with television and movie actor James Norton reading letters from frontline soldiers in WWI. In them, the soldiers described their first-hand accounts of being in the trenches and how on Christmas Day German troops rolled out a barrel of beer to no man’s land, which was shared by German and British forces.
The fantastic singing combined with great readings from actress and comedian Sally Phillips and actor Robert Lindsay created a wonderfully festive feeling, and the fact that the whole event was organised to raise money for the charity only added to the occasion’s Christmas spirit!