The Magic Awaits you at Coventry Cathedral
From carol services to the screening of iconic Christmas movies, the magic awaits you at Coventry Cathedral. A variety of music genres as well as musical stars will all be here to celebrate Christmas with you. The turnout is bigger than ever, make sure to come early to find seats.
An image from the official Coventry Cathedral of a choir service
On the 13th of December at around 7pm there will be the Handel’s Messiah by Candlelight service which will include the Hallelujah Chorus. This is a very special event since the Hallelujah is seen as one of the most famous pieces of the choral music genre. Across next week, we will see other events featuring festive music such as the Girls Choir which is expecting to happen in the evening on the 18th of December. Alongside this we will also see the iconic Harpist Cecily Beer performance. I managed to get an interview with Milano Muller, a priest, where I enquired what events are planned throughout the genre and his thoughts on it. He stated that “the Cathedral is lively during this period” which is due to the thousands of people which show up to these events. Milano Muller also said during this time of year “the Cathedral feels lively because of the number of families which come to celebrate” which shows how this place unites locals of Coventry to one big celebration.
The turnout of the 2024 Christmas Service at Coventry Cathedral (Picture is from the BBC CWR)
For the movie fans out there, the Cathedral will be screening The Snowman, on the 20th December where shows will run from 12pm to 2:30pm. This will be a great time to spend time with friends and family to watch this iconic animation which has been seen by millions
Closer to Christmas, on the 22nd of December there will be a chance to witness, Richard Lea, known as one of the greatest organ works, will be preforming Olivier Messiaen’s well know iconic music piece called La Nativité du Seigneur. If you arrive early on this day you will be offered a tour of the Cathedral whilst being explained the history and meaning behind different paintings and spaces across the historic monument.
An image of the limited edition Graham Sutherland prints located right at the back of the Cathedral. Image from the official Coventry Cathedral website
Leading up to Christmas, on the 24th of December we will witness the traditional Christmas Eve service starting in the afternoon at 2:30pm. This will be a service where the audience can participate in a singalong. During the afternoon there will also be a fun interactive story telling of the Christmas story where families and friends can join in. Linking to the story telling, children can dress up as nativity characters. This is a free entry service which will allow there will be things for everyone to do. Later in the evening will be the reflection ceremony which will include readings, prayers as well as peaceful music. The Cathedral will undergo a moment of reflection to pay tribute to Jesus Christ. On Christmas Day, the traditional year round service will start where everyone is welcome. There will be many charitable opportunities where attendees can give a donation of either food or money which will go to the homeless. This is a free open service meaning the Cathedral is open to everyone for any reason. For example, if they need a place to celebrate for Christmas, if they just want to spend time with friends and families or if they have no one else to celebrate with. Andrew Hines, a tour guide and an event manager, and I sat down to discuss what does this Christmas service mean to the locals of Coventry. He stated that “this is a magnificent time because everyone is here to celebrate Jesus and to unite with each other” which presents how much this means to the locals.