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Portsmouth church hosts Radio Solent carol concert
PRESENTERS and crew from BBC Radio Solent came to St Mary’s Church in Fratton to record their annual Christmas carol concert.
Worshippers donned Santa hats and Christmas jumpers and packed out the church to sing traditional carols and listen to festive pop classics performed. Presenters Alun Newman and Lou Hannan introduced the carols, and also introduced interviews with those who had made a difference in their local communities.
St Mary’s Church Choir led the congregation in singing carols such as O Come All Ye Faithful and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. They performed Ding Dong Merrily on High and In the Bleak Midwinter, while the Sing Now community choir performed perennial classics Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Merry Christmas Everyone.
The recording will be broadcast on BBC Radio Solent at 8am on Christmas Eve and 1pm on Christmas Day. It will also be available on BBC Sounds here.
Among the congregation were volunteers, key workers and community groups who are making a difference in their local communities. Some had received awards as part of BBC local radio’s Make A Difference awards.
Canon Bob White, the vicar of St Mary’s, spoke about how the church serves its local community, including its involvement in the annual ‘Comfort and Joy’ Christmas appeal to give gifts to those who are homeless, vulnerable or seeking asylum. He also prayed a blessing.
The Radio Solent Christmas carol concert is an annual event that has also been held in Romsey Abbey and All Saints, Ryde, in recent years.