TRADITIONAL ENGLISH CAROL SERVICE AND CHRISTMAS STORY

On Sunday 7th December 2025, starting 17.00, a traditional Carol Service with the choir of St. Andrew’s Church, Zurich will be held for the 45rd time at the Christkatholischen Kirche in St. Gallen.

This festive celebration always takes place during the Advent season. Typical English carols will be sung with narratives from the Christmas story in between. This tradition has been practiced in the Anglican Church for 140 years. These type of carol services have also been celebrated in an especially festive way since 1918 in the Chapel of King’s College in Cambridge.

The Anglican Church of St. Andrew’s in Zurich and its daughter church in St. Gallen are  also following this tradition. This year marks the 45th time that the choir of St. Andrew’s, under the current direction of Shaun Yong, will come to St. Gallen.

Well-known carols such as «O come all ye faithful» and „Hark! The herald angels sing“ and others will be sung together with the congregation. Remarkable works sung by the choir only this year are “Remember, O Thou Man”, an anonymous 16th or 17th-century English Christmas Carol that was published by Thomas Ravenscroft. It recounts the biblical story of the Nativity, including man's fall from grace and the birth of Christ. “Mary’s lullaby” is a popular sacred choral composition by the quintessentially English composer John Rutter, a lullaby for Christmas. Sir John Milford Rutter is a composer and conductor of mainly choral music who has just turned 80 years old. “Softly” by Will Todd, an English musician and composer, is a tranquil carol that captures the peace and spirit of Christmas. 

Whether traditional or newly arranged, these carols sum up exactly what Christmas is all about. And the Christ-Catholic-Church, built in 1889 as the “Concert Hall on the Rosenberg” with its excellent acoustics, provides the proper English setting for this.

Afterwards all are invited for “Guetzli” and Glühwein. The perfect occasion to start the Christmas season !!

Carol Service whereabouts

How to get to the Christkatholische Church (Google Christuskirche), Dufourstrasse 77,  St. Gallen.

Bus No.9 from the train station, Tigerberg bus stop, walk 300 m backwards on Dufourstrasse.