St Albans Cathedral to sing carols on the hour – every hour - for one day only!
The Abbey Girls Choir, one of three Cathedral Choirs to sing on Saturday
New initiative should ease pressure on full cathedral, says Sub Dean.
One area of activity not experiencing a downturn this Christmas is carol services. In fact, at St Albans Cathedral they are about to get a boost.
The cathedral is holding thirty-minute carol services every hour on the hour from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 20th December. These services will try to provide for people who have been disappointed in the past that they could not get into a carol service because they were just too full, despite the cathedral having the largest nave in England. The cathedral’s carol services attract people from all over the diocese (Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire) and far beyond.
At the same time there will be a Christmas craft market along Waxhouse Gate, St Albans, in the Cathedral Precincts. Carollers can continue their High Street journey, browsing the eighteen stalls and enjoying festive refreshments as they make their way to the cathedral for more spiritual nourishment.
The Sub Dean, Canon Stephen Lake said today – “Here’s something to help people beat the credit crunch and the carol crush in one go: some uplifting carols to raise the spirits, good value craft stalls to soothe the wallet and a chance to hear one of the cathedral’s choirs. It is always disappointing to turn people away because the cathedral is full. This way of combining the busy-ness of the last Saturday before Christmas with a real Christmas dimension should avoid that. Perhaps some people will stay for more than one service and hear two choirs!”
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