It was lovely to see the church so full for the carol service as many people had come together, and worked really hard, to make it the success it was - in the absence of both a vicar and a choir mistress and with the regular choir being temporarily suspended.
An all age, “Special Choir” had been created for the occasion.
They were trained by Julie Ann who, due to the fact that there was not enough time to get everyone together to rehearse very often, had produced CDs, for the various parts, with which individuals could practice on their own. In their black and white they not only sounded fantastic but looked great too.
The service was structured by a reading, in instalments, of the Christmas story by Christine who lead the service.
In addition, a special musical ensemble was created to enhance the service which it duly did. 
As if all this was not enough, singing from the congregation and the choir was interspersed enthusiastically with lively songs from the young people from GAP.
All these elements, combined with prayers from Andy and a remarkable epilogue from Tim, made this a wonderful service. Everyone, including the congregation, took part with such passion that it became a truly uplifting experience.I was particularly impressed by the way the traditional hymns (such as “While shepherds watched their flocks by night”) seemed effortlessly to blend perfectly with more modern songs (such as “the Shepherds Rock”).
Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to create this service; well done to everyone who attended – between you, you created a most memorable, enjoyable and yet spiritual experience for Christmas!
