Carols and candlelight return to St Mary’s Cathedral

By Heather Excell

Christmas carols and the glow of candlelight will return to St Mary’s Cathedral again this year on 12 December, as Carols at St Mary’s brings the community together for an evening of music and celebration.

This year’s concert will feature a line-up of new and returning performers, including Alison Farrow and Andrew Short, Teresa Dixon, Croon, and the Carols at St Mary’s Orchestra, to name just a few.

The program will bring together a mix of traditional and contemporary carols, alongside solo performances and orchestral pieces, with plenty of opportunities for the audience to join in.

Performer, Teresa Dixon, is looking forward to returning to the Cathedral this year, particularly for her rendition of ‘Little Drummer Boy’.

“I really relate to this song being a musician myself,” she said. “It’s easy to forget that giving can be in so many different forms other than financial, the sharing of songs and storytelling can be so priceless and therapeutic.”  

For Teresa, performing in the Cathedral is a particularly special experience.

“Opportunities to perform in spaces such as St Mary’s don’t come along often,” she said. “It is an honour and blessing to sing in such a sacred, architecturally beautiful and acoustically stunning space.”

Organiser, Di Kelly, said the program aimed to offer something for all ages, while creating an opportunity for people to reconnect with the beauty and traditions of Christmas.

“Christmas music has a way of bringing people together,” she said.

“There’s something really lovely about hearing hundreds of people singing the same carol together.

“It doesn’t matter how old you are or where you come from, everyone can be a part of it.”

Building on last year’s strong attendance, this year’s event will include a large outdoor screen and sound system on the Cathedral lawns.

“Families will be able to bring a picnic rug, enjoy something to eat from the food vans, and watch the concert from outside if they prefer,” she said.

The concert will also be livestreamed, allowing aged care facilities and community groups to share in the celebration.

“We want it to be a Christmas celebration that everyone can enjoy, whether they’re inside the Cathedral, outside on the lawns or joining us through the livestream,” Di explained.

Di hopes the evening will leave people feeling more connected to their community, with a renewed appreciation for the true meaning of Christmas.

“If people leave feeling a little more connected to their community, with some Christmas joy and perhaps a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas, then I think we’ve achieved what we set out to do,” she said.

Carols at St Mary’s is a free event, with attendees invited to support CatholicCare Tasmania’s Christmas Lunch appeal and Giving Tree, helping extend the joy of Christmas to the broader community, especially those experiencing hardship.