Welcoming the festive season
Is there any better way to welcome Christmas than with a carol service, complete with celebrity readers, a glorious choir and the perfect festive setting?
We are delighted that we can offer our supporters not just one but two carol services each December: one in the chapel of Bradfield College, Berkshire, the other at St Luke’s and Christ Church in Chelsea, London.
The London carol service has been held every year since the Trust began and has become our flagship event, with over 900 people attending this year. Beautifully decorated, St Luke’s and Christ Church provides a spectacular venue and wonderful acoustics, perfect for the voices of Vox Cordis who, along with conductor Charlie Grace have supported the service every year. The congregation also enjoyed the soulful harmonies of Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas, as sung by Amber, Saffron and Tallulah Le Bon, accompanied by musician Benji Compston.
L-R: Tallulah Le Bon, Benji Compston, Amber Le Bon, Saffron Le Bon, Revd Pat Allerton, Emily Berrington, Leila Farzad, Adam James
Humour and gravitas
The readers – Emily Berrington, Leila Farzad, Bryony Gordon and Adam James – all spoke with exactly the right combination of humour and gravitas.
A special mention for Adam, who used all his acting skills to deliver an increasingly drunken recipe for Christmas fruit cake, earning him much laughter and applause.
In contrast, Nikki Chapman, the Trust’s Parent Carer Lived Experience Lead, spoke movingly about her own experiences of supporting a child with mental health difficulties and the huge value of support from other parents and carers in combatting the loneliness she has felt. It was a poignant reminder of why the work of the Trust is so important.
Stunning chapel
Bradfield carol service may not have such a long history, but it has become an increasingly popular fixture. The chapel always looks beautiful, with its stunning Christmas tree and many candles.
300 people attended this year, enjoying the combined voices of the Bradfield College and Elstree School choirs.
This year’s readers were Edward Bennett, Lord Benyon, Richard Waller (Charlie’s brother), trustee Mark Durden-Smith, Reverend Dr Peter Hansell and Jeremy Quartermain. Holly Whitfield, who is one of the Trust’s youth ambassadors, spoke with great presence about the Trust’s work. Her personal story touched everyone – she spoke about the loss of her best friend – and she closed her talk with a call to ‘remember those we’ve lost, hold close those we love, and carry forward the light they gave us.’
Many of our supporters return year after year, telling us they can’t think of starting the festive season any other way. We are so grateful for their support for the two carol services, which this year raised a wonderful £68,030. Thank you also to the members of the two fundraising committees who work tirelessly to make these events the success that they are.
For those who appreciate great music, we have a treat coming up on Wednesday 22 April 2026: JS Bach’s sublime Mass in B Minor at Cadogan Hall, London. Longstanding supporter of the Trust, Charlie Grace, will be conducting the Aurum Vocale Instrumental Collective and Vox Cordis chamber choir with five outstanding soloists.
