Silent night? No thanks.
Here, Frankie McCoy picks the capital’s best spots to hear Christmas carols
The cult candlelit one
Shh, don’t tell anyone about St Mary’s Carols by Candlelight in Islington or you’ll never make it into the truly special service. At 6pm the church falls into darkness save for the flickering flames of 400 candles. There also happens to be an excellent Cards for Good Causes shop attached. Free.
December 16, stmaryislington.org
The four-legged one
Bark! The herald angels sing. Since mere choirs aren’t festive enough, there’s a chorus of canines awaiting you at the Battersea Dogs and Cats Home carols at St Luke’s Church in Chelsea, alongside mulled wine and goodie bags. Tickets from £20.
December 7, battersea.org.uk
The Love Actually one
All you need is love — and mince pies — as children’s charity Smile Train hosts its joyful carol concert at Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair, aka the chapel where Keira Knightley married Chiwetel Ejiofor in Love Actually. If you look for it, I’ve got a feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around... Free.
December 6, grosvenorchapel.org.uk
The seriously cheesy one
It’s not the carols that are cheesy at Borough Market (how dare you blaspheme the sound of Christmas!) It’s all the Parmesan, Gouda and Cheddar on offer at the Evening of Cheese, where carol singers will serenade you as you sample Stilton. Free.
December 12, boroughmarket.org.uk
The proper posh one
Look, darling, if you’re not at St Paul’s Knightsbridge next week, who even are you? The swishest carol service in town is associated with our beloved Berkeley hotel, which means cold champagne, hot mulled wine and Alexander Armstrong cracking jokes at the pulpit. Tickets from £55.
December 4, stpaulsknightsbridge.org
The hipster East End one
Is gift buying for really, really awkward friends causing you to melt down mightily? Pause. Breathe. Then head to Columbia Road’s Christmas Wednesdays to shop all the devastatingly cool wares from 60 traders while listening to carols from the jolly singers of St Peter’s in Bethnal Green and drinking a large glass of wine from The Royal Oak. Joy to the world, indeed. Free.
December 5, 12 & 19, columbiaroad.info
