Christmas 2017 part 1 - November 2017

My Christmas celebrations for 2017 started early.

On 11 November I went to the Manchester Craft & Design Centre for their Christmas launch event "Christmas Starts Here".  The Centre was busy and there was some seasonal music, but it didn't really feel like Christmas ... perhaps it was too early.

My choir, the Sunday Boys, visited Birmingham the week later for a concert in the foyer of the Birmingham Rep Theatre.  I got a glimpse of the Christmas lights which was really nice.

I next went to an organ recital at St Ann's Church on November 21 - and a number of the pieces were dealing with Advent.  Pieces included “Choral Preludes for Advent” (JS Bach), “Choral Prelude on Veni Emanuel” (Flor Peeters) and “Fantasia on Veni Emanuel” (Heathcote Statham)

It was starting to begin to look like Christmas.  On the following Friday I attended the Anthems for Advent at Cross Street Chapel.  I have done this now for a few years.

Next was a visit to the Garrick Playhouse Theatre for Alan Ayckbourn's "Seasons Greetings" which was very funny.

Christmas felt like it was getting closer.  There was a Christmas bake sale at work in aid of the Encephalitis Society, and I decided I would try and watch a Christmas movie on YouTube each day in the run up to Christmas.  The film I watched on St Andrew's Day was "A Princess for Christmas" - which of course has a happy ending.