Hastings Stage Studio presents its show in Rye.

Where to go for festive music this Christmas

As usual Hastings and 1066 country offers a wide range of Christmas music concerts to suit all tastes. HOT’s Chris Cormack examines the pick of the bunch.

Help the Salvation Army and St Mary in the Castle this Friday.

First off, this Friday comes  a Christmas Carol Singalong Celebration at St Mary in the Castle. A local school choir from Buckswood, accompanied by the Salvation Army Band, will encourage everyone to join in the carols! Mulled wine and mince pies are on sale, as well as teas and coffees, and the bar is open as usual. Doors open at 7pm, and it starts at 7.30pm. This is astoundingly good value at £4  for adults and £2 for children, and what is more, all the proceeds from ticket sales are split equally between  the Salvation Army and the St Mary in the Castle Charitable Trust; so you can tick off that box of Christmas charity do-gooding too. Reserve a ticket online or call 01424 715 880.

Other Christmas goodies at St Mary in the Castle include Christmas Jazz Breakfast at 11am on Sunday 6 December, which features a six-piece band in support of vocalist Georgie Fellows and on Friday 13 December, Tenors UnLimited  return to Hastings for a Christmas concert joined by the winners of the 1066 choir competition, St. Andrew’s Prep and St. John’s Meads C of E Primary School, both in Eastbourne.

Professionalism at the De La Warr.

Another way to jazz up your Christmas is with Liane Carroll, who performs a one-off Christmas music special, “filled with merriment and cheer,” and joined by the musical virtuoso Joe Stilgoe, trumpeter James McMillan, bassist Steve Pearce, drummer Mark Fletcher and the Orchestra of East Sussex Youth Strings at the De la Warr Pavilion on Friday 20 December. Isn’t it great how Liane works with local people and adds professionalism to our local music offering? Liane is also the guest artist at Hastings Stage Studios’ The Magic of Christmas show  at the Milligan Theatre, Rye, in benefit of the victims of the Philippines typhoon.

If you prefer soul to jazz and you want to party, you can’t do better than to catch Soul Xpress at St Mary in the Castle on Saturday 14 December. Soul Xpress are fantastic fundraisers and this time the proceeds go to St Michael’s Hospice and another local charity, Surviving Christmas.

If it is classical music you would prefer, you could do worse than take in the Occasional Consort, with leaders Anne Whiteman and Rebekah Gilbert, Shirley Carey on piano and Nigel Howard on organ. Their concert – The Glory of Christmas, with Vivaldi’s Gloria and Christmas carols  on the bill – is at St. John’s Church, Pevensey Road, St Leonards-on-Sea on Saturday 14 December at 7.30pm. Tickets on the door are £8, concessions £7. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine too! Another quality concert is Carols for Choir & Audience, featuring Bexhill Choral Society at 7:30pm on Saturday 7 December in St. Augustine’s Church, Cooden Drive, Bexhill-on-Sea, tickets £10. If you live in Battle,  join Melodia, a classical duo, in a “beautiful candlelit concert celebrating the festive music of Christmas”. Listen to haunting Christmas songs such as Rutter’s Christmas Lullaby and join in with  well-known carols including The First Noël, whilst enjoying a mince pie and a warming glass of mulled wine! A donation from every ticket sold will go to St Michael’s Hospice. Saturday 21 December in The Orangery Tearoom, Ashburnham Place, Battle TN33 9NF at 7pm and Sunday 22 December in Wynne Room, Battle Memorial Hall, at 6pm.

Opera South East - funds in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support.

If you don’t venture out at night, you could always try the SAFE (Respite Care) concert on Saturday 14 December at 10.30am in St Augustine’s Chapel, Upper Maze Hill (entrance to St Michael’s Hospice). This features the welcome return of “Friends Unlimited” covering Christmas music – choral and instrumental (organ and possibly cello) – £5 to include interval refreshments. The chapel is a joy to see if you’ve not been inside and ANOTHER mince pie won’t hurt you – last year they were home-made and scrummy!!

Why not take this chance to view the wonderfully refurbished St Clement’s Church in the Old Town? Opera South East presents ‘A Traditional Christmas’ there at 7.30pm  on 8 December.

You can see Soundwaves at the ‘other’ All Saints’ Church, performing ‘Folk Carols and Winter Songs’ on Friday, 6 December at 7.30 pm, with additional songs from the Acapella Bellas and Now and Then. Soundwaves also present their ‘Seaview Project Concert’ at St John’s Church, St Leonards at 5 pm on 7 December.

But the Rolls Royce of Christmas concerts is surely the ever popular Hastings Philharmonic Choir‘s carols and festive music which returns to the beautiful St Mary in the Castle on 21 December. A brass ensemble will again accompany the choir in performances of well-known carols – many of which the audience can join the choir in singing. An early evening start means this event is suitable for the whole family – tickets only £2 for those 16 or under, full-price tickets £10, concessions £8.

Parish Church of All Saints and Saint Nicholas, Icklesham.

If you are looking for a traditional carol service in the most beautiful of Norman village churches, then this is the one for you: Sunday 22 December at 4pm in the parish church of All Saints and Saint Nicholas, Main Road, Icklesham, near Winchelsea, TN36 4BJ. Built by the Normans on top of a site of religious observance dating back to at least AD722, the church was refurbished most notably during the Victorian era when its five-light window was installed. All the remaining stained glass is original 12th century work by medieval craftsmen. The service has the traditional readings and the best-known of carols plus a mini-concert by the Hastings singers, Sea Tones, which includes yours faithfully …

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