Westminster Abbey Carol Service Part 2
We’re delighted to include the second part of this post from our volunteer Michael Fanning below! Part 1 can be found here!
We all stood as the Royal party made their way from the West Door, through the nave and towards the altar.
First was Countess of Wessex, then Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, Zara Tindall, the Middleton family and finally The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
It was very surreal to have members of the Royal Family literally feet away from me! The Dean and the choristers of Westminster Abbey then made their way to the altar.
A soloist began singing Once in Royal David’s City before the choristers sang the second verse and then everybody joined in for a rousing final verse.
Prince William then gave a reading, followed by music A-Lister Leona Lewis, who sang O Holy Night.
How lucky was i to be watching from the nave, as Leona Lewis sang literally 10 feet from where I was sitting? Wearing an amazing flowing green dress, she sounded absolutely beautiful!
The whole experience was amazing. More verses were read (including one from tv presenter Kate Garraway), a lone Piper played, and we all sang Silent Night and Oh Little town of Bethlehem holding our light-up candles.
Another chart star, Ellie Goulding treated us to a lovely version of Have Yourselves a Merry Little Christmas and the choristers sang another few carols.
Their collective voices wafting through the Abbey was a joy to behold!
There was just time for us all to sing Away in a Manger, listen to the Dean’s prayers and finish with O Come All Ye Faithful. Blessings were given, the organist played as first the Royal party slowly walked past me towards the West Door then the Dean of Westminster Abbey and finally the fantastic young choristers.
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge left the Abbey, there was an explosion of flashlight from the paparazzi who were waiting outside.
The whole service lasted 70 minutes and it both looked and sounded incredible!
Understandably phones and cameras were not allowed during the service, but afterwards we all had the opportunity to take some photographs inside the Abbey.
And that was it.
Almost reluctantly we all began to make our way towards the West Door and into the cold air of the London night, thanking the clergymen for the beautiful service as we left.
The school choir were still singing their carols outside, the reindeer had gone home (to the North Pole?) for the night and a few final photos were taken.
Colette was right, it really was the experience of a lifetime and one I will never forget! I felt extremely proud throughout to be representing all the wonderful volunteers and team from Age Concern Luton!
Now I’m looking forward to watching and enjoying it all over again on ITV on Christmas Eve at 7pm.
