Christ Church Carol Service
On Tuesday 13th December the whole School walked carefully down to Christ Church, for our annual Carol Service held in Oxford’s Cathedral.
The chilly, crisp but dry morning was mitigated by well wrapped-up pupils keeping on the move (though staff in their high vis jackets at each crossing struggled a little more in keeping themselves warm!).
The service was beautiful, with the Headingtones and Chamber Choir singing fantastically. Those reading the lessons and the prayers also did a marvellous job.
The service itself was repeated in the evening where alumni, parents and friends came. A string ensemble played as the congregation assembled and beautiful solos were provided by members of the Chamber Choir, with a special cello solo from Jingtong for the first verse or ‘O Come, O Come Emmanuel’.
The Cathedral was near capacity in the evening as well – and this was the first time since 2019 that we were able to throw the doors fully open.
Rev Tom Howell, the School Chaplain, gave a brief homily on St John’s opening line ‘In the beginning there was the Word’ (a title for Christ).
Rev Howell shared that “the Christmas message is that Jesus, the babe in the manger is also the ‘Alpha and Omega’, the beginning and end of all things – and it is in Him that we find who we are.”
The final act of the service was the Blessing and a procession to ‘O Come all ye Faithful’. In the words of the Blessing: may the peace and joy of Christmas be with you all this Christmas!
