A BEAUTIFUL service of carols and festive readings brought an action-packed programme of Christmas events at King’s Ely to an end.
Hundreds of pupils, parents, family members, staff and friends of King’s Ely packed inside Ely Cathedral for the school’s annual Service of Readings and Carols for Advent and Christmas on Friday, December 15th.
The event – one of the highlights of King’s Ely’s calendar – featured performances by King’s Ely Senior’s Chapel Choir, Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir, the King’s Barbers, King’s Ely Senior’s Chamber Choir and Edmund Aldhouse, Ely Cathedral’s Assistant Organist, interspersed with moving prayers and readings.
Just as poignant were the King’s Ely Acremont and Nursery Carol Service and King’s Ely Junior Carol Service, both held in the cathedral – Ely’s ‘Ship of the Fens’ – with which King’s Ely is fortunate to enjoy such strong historical and present links.
Ely Cathedral Girls’ Choir enjoyed a wonderful trip to London to sing at the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity Christmas Concert, where they got to meet a whole host of famous faces, including Matt Barber, Toby Jones and Dame Patricia Routledge, to name just a few.
Ely Cathedral Boys’ Choir also visited the capital for a festive concert at St Paul’s, Onslow Square, where they sang beautifully to an audience of around 400 people, including the renowned Chelsea Pensioners. The concert was part of the series organised by Holy Trinity Brompton for older people and their friends to enjoy.
The annual festive Charity Action Afternoon and Craft Fair at King’s Ely Junior also proved as popular as ever and took place in aid of the Uganda Marathon Appeal this year. Activities included everything from a sponsored circuit training session to an auction led by local television auctioneer David Palmer, all of which are set to have raised thousands of pounds for good causes.
Other yuletide highlights included the annual Sixth Form Christmas Ball, King’s Ely Junior’s glitzy Christmas Concert, a Winter Wonderland charity fundraiser at King’s Ely Senior organised by the girls in Withburga house, cracker making workshops and fancy dress Christmas parties at King’s Ely Acremont and Nursery, and Christmas Jumper Days throughout all sections of King’s Ely.
Principal of King’s Ely, Sue Freestone, said: “One of the many joys of working in a cathedral school is that we are so closely bound to the rhythm of the year and Christmas is a very special time. All of the pupils and staff of King’s Ely wish our community a very happy Christmas.”