St Bartholomew The Great, West Smithfield

To distract you on Christmas Day: the perfect St Bart’s Christmas poem:
Read by John Betjeman (a former parishioner), written in his house on Cloth Fair (within the parish), quoted last night in the Rector’s sermon for Midnight Mass.
“And is it true,... This most tremendous tale of all, Seen in a stained-glass window's hue, A Baby in an ox's stall ? The Maker of the stars and sea Become a Child on earth for me ?”
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Eternal God, who made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of thy one true light.

Celebrate the new-born Christ with carols, the blessing of the crib, a sermon by Fr Marcus Walker, and the glorious Messe de Minuit by Charpentier.
Doors open at 22:00.

This evening we time-travelled back just a short while through our 900 year past arriving in the Victorian era! The choir, dressed in authentic Victorian attire, sang familiar carols to Victorian tunes! there was also a resounding Hallelujah chorus! Join us this Christmas for more sensational music and liturgy.

Choir and Livery fill the church for our first carol service. Many more to come over the coming week.
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/… /campaigns/christmas/

The Christmas trees are lit and the church is getting ready for our first Service of Nine Lessons and Carols!

No time for a full carol service this year? Our Lunchtime Carols is about to start. 40 mins of readings and music to prepare you for Christmas. Hurry over to the Priory Church for 1:00!
https://www.achurchnearyou.com/…/servic e-and…/events/536155/

O come, O come, Emmanuel
Deep in the middle of Advent, the church was packed for our carol service based on the O Antiphons: ERO CRAS.
We have a carol service every night this week - find them all here and come along! https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/… /campaigns/christmas/
... Photo credit: Andrea Liu
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St. Bartholomew the Great filled to capacity by staff, friends and family from our neighbouring and namesake hospital, for their annual carol service. It is almost 900 years since both were founded. Please visit our website for details of our fantastic and uniquely themed carol services coming next week. 🎶

A setting of Stille Nacht arranged by our very own Director of Music, Rupert Gough.

The first of our really big carol services: the Barts Health NHS trust service. Five hundred chairs have been put out, waiting for hundreds of nurses, doctors, surgeons to descend on the Priory Church - and pass comment on the anatomical accuracy of Damien Hirst’s sculpture of St Bartholomew!

This Sunday, come and enjoy a retelling of the Christmas story by the children of the parish in St Bartholomew the Less - carols and cake to follow!

A Service of Readings from Charles Dickens, together with carols that he would have heard and known
Many of the images of Christmas today are still drawn from the Victorian era, and are especially associated with the works of Charles Dickens and especially his book A Christmas Carol. This service focuses on musc and readings from the period, with carols sung to the music that would have been used at this time of the year.
Music:... Welcome Yule – Sydney Nicholson The great God of Heaven (The Incarnation) – Traditional The Holly and the Ivy – (Old French) In dulci jubilo – arr. Pearsall When Christ was born of Mary free – Parry A cradle song of the Blessed Virgin – Joseph Barnby Hallelujah Chorus – Handel
Mulled Wine, Mince Pies and other refreshments are available in the Cloister before & after the service.
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A Service of Lessons and Carols with music from Germany
Many aspects of the English Christmas in fact come to us from Germany. Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, introduced the domestic Christmas Tree and Christmas Cards to the United Kingdom, and they spread from there to the United States. But while the UK and the US share a great deal of Christmas music, German Christmas music is almost completely different from UK Christmas music – but it is also very wonderful. Th...is is a service with a difference, a sequence of Lessons & Carols with music drawn from the German Christmas tradition. You won't be disappointed!
Music:
Wachet auf – Johann Sebastian Bach Macht hoch die Tür – Reger Puer natus in Bethelehem – Rheinberger O Jesulein suess – Bach/Reger Ave Maria – Biebl Stille Nacht – Carter Kommt, ihr Hirten – arr. Gough Drei Könige wandern aus Morgenland – Cornelius I wonder as I wander – Rütti
Glühwein, Stollen, and other refreshments will be available in the Cloister before & after the service.
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A Service of Lessons and Carols from the Christmas tradition in the USA
Numerous Christmas Carols that we regard as part of an English Christmas actually began life in America and only came here later. It came upon the midnight clear, O little town of Bethelehem, We three Kings of Orient are, Away in a manger, Deck the Halls, are all examples of this. In many cases, they are still sung in the USA to the original tunes with which they were equipped when they were first sung. T...his carol service will include choir carols written in the Americas, and where there is an American tune for a familiar congregational carol, that is the one we will be using. It is a real star-spangled occasion.
Music:
Noel Nouvelet – arr. Peter Schubert The blasts of chill December – James Bassi Lullay thou tiny little child – trad. Appalachian Lullee, lullai, lullo lullabye – Mack Wilberg Ave Maria – Stephen Paulus Silent Night – arr. Paul Johnson Dormi Jesu – Matthew D. Nielsen I wonder as I wander – Appalachian arr. Carter Go, tell it on the mountain – Rosephanye Powell
Mulled Wine, Mince Pies and other refreshments are available in the Cloister before & after the service.
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As we're one week into Advent, the mnid turns to Christmas shopping...
If you're using Amazon, you now have the wonderful (and cost-free!) opportunity to support us every time you buy something. Just follow this link...

Christmas is the season when we have the most fun at St Bartholomew the Great! Whether is the solemn joy of the Nine Lessons & Carols, the exuberance of A Star Spangled Christmas, or the excitement of Christmas through the works of Dickens in 'A Christmas Carol', nothing beats Christmas at St Bart's. To make sure you don't miss anything, explore our newly restored presence on www.achurchnearyou.com - and start clearing your diary!

What a beautiful unusual church. We visited it at the end of a service and were lucky to be able to listen to the organist playing this amazing instrument. We decided to go to the cafe for a coffee and cake and found ourselves very welcomed in the peaceful yet busy cloisters. Definitively will come back for a service

We thoroughly enjoyed Choral Evensong at St Bartholomew the Great. The music was superb and supported a beautiful prayer service. Many thanks for a wonderful experience!

This is a wonderful church full of history, and run by extremely friendly people.

Such a beautiful, peaceful place. The volunteer who was on the desk was a mine of interesting information. I would love to go back and attend a service.

Stunning church with a fantastic atmosphere! Really wish I lived in London so I could worship there. Hopefully I'll get to attend Sunday Eucharist there next time I'm in London �

Simply stunning carol service on Tuesday 20th December in this beautiful church. The choir and organist were amazing, the whole experience is now on my list for Christmas next year! Well done to Martin Dudley who has been so supportive to the Worshipful Company of Hackney Carriage Drivers and I believe is stepping down this year as Chaplain of this wonderful church.

One of the most beautiful churches in London.

Myself and my son who has autism came to your church today and was greeted by a chap with grey hair and glasses very nice man he explained all about church and my son was totally interested as he knew all about your church as my son had wanted to see the church and we walked around for over an hour chap came in and told us about rahere but my son already knew all their was and chap said as your son has read up on our church I will leave you in his capable hands which pleased my son we wandered around it was very peaceful and magical my son was all over building telling me about rahere and missing sandal and he was in his element as we left. We thank chap at door and went on our way my son aged 24 and autistic said it was somewhere he had wanted to come and now he can tick off his bucket list thank you for my sons experience he loved it and so did I through my sons eyes

My Sister and I got a bit lost last monday and decided to ask for direction. We thank god for putting this pearl on our way. You have a beatiful and welcoming church. We were so warmly greeted at the door by Gordon Furry and the young man at the Cafè made the best fresh brewed coffee I had in days! I'll will surely return... one day.

Lovely church and very friendly people. Beautifully lit and good to see an ancient church not scrubbed to within an inch its life but properly showing the trophies of antiquity.

It was wonderful very interesting and Hogarths murals were fabulous. The museum was excellent so glad we have moved on with medical equipment�

I can recommend a visit to everyone �

I was at a choral concert from the fourth choir in this stunning church, one could imagine the hands of people that built and worked in it touching the stone while all the time surrounded by the sublime singing Fabulous and spiritual experiwnce

I was at Evensong last night, there was a visiting American Choir. Never been to the Church before although I knew of it's historical and religious significance. Got slightly lost. Well worth a visit.

I really love it because, christ dwell there, and it is good serving GOD in a decent place like st bartholomew

Douglas McCleery (aged 13).

An understated, rare example of Norman architecture in London.

A welcome alternative to the crowded bustle of the city.

Good value for money.

A warm and friendly welcome.



Thank you!

Absolutely amazing!!! A very quick way to get into the festive spirit. The building is more or less as it was in the 1500's; full of history and ancientness. The Carol services must be breath taking.

A real hidden gem, amazing atmosphere well worth £5

A brilliant church. To be fair, it's my Livery Company's home church so I'm kind of partial. I've been lucky enough to witness a number of ceremonies in the church and taken part as well. This place, to use the vernacular, rocks.

Tried to find the church where I was married, where I celebrated significant services, for me, with colleagues from the hospital, where I could go and be close with God, with people I had lost....all I found was an old building that was now a tourist attraction, with recordings going on or sketchers sat drawing in the pews, that wanted me to pay an entrance fee. Felt sad.