The Bolton School Junior Boys’ annual Carol Service opened with ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. Year 6 pupil Joshua Haston sang the first verse solo and the Upper School Choir joined him in the second verse, before everyone added their voices for the rest of this traditional opening carol.
The Carol Service was a memorable evening of reflection about the deeper meaning of Christmas and featured carols interspersed with readings delivered by Year 6 boys. The first of these was Luke 1 verses 26-33, read by David Alalade. The Lower School Choir then asked in song ‘Where Are You Christmas?’ and Om Chandar read a poignant excerpt from ‘The Grinch’ by Dr Seuss to remind everyone that ‘Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more’.
The whole school then sang ‘Tell Out the News’ before the audience was invited to join in with singing ‘See Him Lying on a Bed of Straw’. This led into two readings from Luke: Oscar Bromwell read verses 1-7 and Varun Malik verses 8-16, with the Chamber Choir’s performance of Rutter’s ‘Nativity Carol’ in between.
‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ was the next of the carols sung by everyone, though the Lower School Choir alone took over for the softer third verse. The Upper School Choir then sand ‘It Feels Like Christmas’ and Makundh Madhu Shankar read ‘Scarecrow Christmas’ by Pie Corbett.
Lending an international feel to the programme, the boys sang the first verse of ‘Silent Night’ in Chinese before the whole congregation joined in for the remainder of this famous carol.
‘The Christmas Pine’ by Julia Donaldson was the next reading: this longer poem was shared by Shrey Bhalme, Syed Mehdi, Theo Hayton-Weed, Zak Johnson and Joseph Binns. The whole school then sang ‘Carol of the Children’. The final reflections for the evening were ‘Christmas Stars’ by Marie Irish, read by Shriansh Tol, and Isiah 9 verses 2, 6 and 7, read by Max Knight.
The hall then filled with the joyful singing of ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ before Mrs Sue Faulkner, Head of Primary Division, offered the closing prayer.
The Junior Boys held a retiring collection in support of Save the Children, an international charity which aims to change the world for children through innovative work on the ground and campaigning for change on key issues.
