Annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols 2022

The evening of Tuesday 13th December saw the Grosvenor community, past and present, congregate in the impressive surroundings of St. Anne’s Cathedral to participate in its annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

As always, those in attendance were treated to a selection of outstanding performances from the School’s talented choristers. There were renditions of such festive favourites as ‘O Holy Night’, featuring soloist Maddie Gribbon, Year 13, as well as, amongst others: ‘Away in a Manger’, ‘The Angel Gabriel’, ‘Silent Night’ and ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’, with solos provided by Charles Campbell, Year 12, as well as Evie Bovill, Amy Patton and Eva Wainwright, all Year 13.

The music provided by the Choir, conducted by Head of Music Miss Rosemary Foster and accompanied by fellow Music teacher Mr Jonathan Arnold, provided the perfect backdrop to a memorable evening of worship which also saw pupils in years eight - twelve, as well as Head Girl Erin Young, Head Boy Charlie Parke and the School’s Principal, Dr. Frances Vasey, deliver the Nine Lessons telling of Jesus’ birth.  

This year’s service – the first since 2019 - was particularly notable for the impressive number of former pupils who returned both to sing in the Choir and to enjoy the Service as members of the congregation. To this end, the culmination of the evening, which saw many in attendance stay behind to enjoy mulled wine and mince pies at the rear of the Cathedral, provided an excellent opportunity to catch up with former friends and acquaintances, and to enjoy the festive spirit of the occasion.

The School's Carol Service is undoubtedly the highlight of an extremely busy festive season for its much in-demand Music department - congratulations to everybody who helped to make Tuesday’s event such a memorable, entertaining and enjoyable occasion; hopefully it marks just the beginning of an enjoyable pre-Christmas period for all within the School.