Leicester Cathedral will host the local Church of England’s second Global Carol Service on Saturday 7 December at 5.30pm with a theme of ‘Gathering’.
A feast of colour and culture, the Diocese of Leicester service is open to all. Civic and community guests will be welcomed by the Bishop of Leicester Martyn Snow.
A colourful wooden cross, decorated with nativity and other scenes depicting the early life of Christ in Coptic Christian style, will be carried at the head of a procession leading into the service, with children and adults following on, some wearing different national dress and including members of the Zimbabwe Mothers’ Union.
Lusa Nsenga-Ngoy, Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) Mission and Ministry Enabler for the Diocese of Leicester, said: “The idea is that at Christmas people and nations are invited to gather in worship before the infant Christ. We will be coming as people from a wide variety of backgrounds together, sharing elements of different traditions and cultures in the music and language; all united in Jesus’ name.”
Everyone is welcome to attend the service and enjoy refreshments afterwards.
Poems, music and Bible passages will be read or played by a variety of speakers and performers, including a visitor from Kenya on the drums, a Swedish singer and an intercultural band made of musicians from different churches.
For one of the familiar carols, Silent Night, the whole congregation will be united in singing words of the same meaning but translations in English or German.
In addition, there will be a song in Korean performed by Father/Revd Andrew Lee from St Hugh’s Church, Eyres Monsell, accompanied on the piano by his wife Sara, and Bible readings printed in English as well as being read out in languages spoken across all continents including a Polish reading by JarosÅ‚aw ÅšwitaÅ‚a, from St Mary’s Church, Hinckley.
Other music will include a piece by a band from All Saints Church, Belgrave, Leicester, and Maria Jukes, from the Kegworth and Hathern team benefice, has written a song called All On A Journey for the service. She will be joined by musicians from other Leicestershire churches including Church of the Martyrs, Leicester, who themselves have gathered together to form a band especially for this occasion.