The Rotary Club of Bath has recorded a virtual carol service specially designed for care home residents, hospital patients and all those who feel lonely or vulnerable this Christmas.
Rotary President Chris Davies
The service, specially created by Rotarian Reverend Martin Broadbent, features seasonal poems and music as well as traditional extracts from the Bible Christmas story.
Traditional carols have been provided courtesy of the Bath Abbey Choir, who gave permission for the use of extracts from one of their recent Christmas CDs.
The organist of Bathwick St Mary Church, Gary Desmond, performed music for the beginning and end of the service.
Two of the readings are by local schoolchildren, 10 year-old Adam from Widcombe Junior School, and 14 yer old Isaac from Threeways School.
Other readers include the Director and Chair of Bath Samaritans, Meg Baldwin; Bath Building Society’s Chief Executive, Kevin Gray and the Mayor of Bath, Cllr Manda Rigby.
Rotary President Chris Davies explained the Club had been determined to deliver a Community Carol Service, despite the Covid restrictions.
He said: “The Rotary Carol Service is a much-loved feature of the Christmas season in Bath, and we know is valued by many in our City who can’t attend other services.
“We hope this unique recording, which brings together young and old, business and community groups, will both raise spirits and help us raise some money for charity.”
The service was recorded by Bath Radio and will be broadcast on Hospital Radio in the RUH, and more widely via their website on 20th and 24th December at 6.00pm.
The service will also be available online as a podcast, and on the Rotary Club’s Youtube channel, so people can listen at their leisure.
Online donations are being invited, with money raised going to Bath Samaritans and Youth Connect South-West, based in Southdown, which works with disadvantaged young people across the city.
