GENTLE GUITAR PLAYING
# Have yourself
# A merry little Christmas
# Let your heart be light
# From now on
# Our troubles will be out
# Of sight
# Have yourself
# A merry little Christmas
# Make the Yuletide gay
# From now on
# Our troubles will be miles
# Away
# Here we are
# As in olden days
# Happy golden days
# Of yore
# Faithful friends
# Who are dear to us
# Travel near to us
# Once more
# Someday soon
# We all will be together
# If the fates allow
# Hang a shining star
# Upon the highest
# Bough
# So have yourself
# A merry little Christmas
# Now. #
Good evening,
and welcome to a very special Christmas carol concert,
coming to you from the stunning St Elisabeth's Church
in Reddish, Greater Manchester.
And thank you to Nyah Grace
for opening the show with her beautiful version
of Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.
There's much more great music to come.
The EAGA Choir, they're here with their inspiring three-carol medley.
# Christmas is here Ding
# Bringing good cheer Dong
# To young and old Ding
# Meek and the bold Dong
# Ding, dong, ding, dong That is their song. #
Back on the cobbles, Catherine Tyldesley is here
to sprinkle a little Christmas magic of her own.
# Although it's been said
# Many times, many ways... #
Multi-platinum artist,
and celebrating 20 years since winning The X Factor,
the incredible Shayne Ward.
# I'm dreaming
# Of a white Christmas. #
Kenny Thomas brings his soulful style to a festive favourite.
# Yes, he
# Santa's coming to town. #
And I will be playing a timeless carol
alongside someone very special to me indeed -
my daughter Ava.
SONG: 'Silent Night'
As a nation, we are fortunate to be enriched
by a wealth of diverse cultures, traditions and knowledge.
And it's this shared strength that we see reflected
in the work of our emergency services,
where people come together with one purpose - to keep us safe.
In the first of tonight's films,
we explore how faith can be a powerful force for connection.
Through acceptance, friendship, and shared experiences,
our society grows stronger, kinder, and more united.
I'm Rabbi Daniel Walker.
I'm the rabbi of this synagogue, the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation.
One of the very heartening things that has happened to us
after the tragic and horrific attack
was that people reached out from across the world,
really, to show their support.
I think there is a danger of feeling very alone
when something so terrible happens,
a feeling of being isolated and disconnected.
And a very big part of our healing is the support we've received
and the outreach that we've received from across Manchester and, er...
and beyond.
I think it's really important
that we deepen understanding of each other.
I think togetherness and knowledge is the best preventative measure
to stop any division between communities.
The more we know about each other,
the more time we spend with each other,
the better we all... we all will be.
This week is Inter Faith Week,
and Inter Faith Week each year starts with Remembrance Day.
And then following on from that, as an interfaith organisation,
we have a number of activities that go on throughout the week.
And today, we've got the Scouts group coming
cos they wanna have a look around the mosque,
and it's part of their faith badge.
So, they've got to visit a place of worship
that's different from their own.
The other thing that you will see the imam do
is he will lean on a staff.
This mosque, we have an open-door policy
where we invite everybody in.
We show them around and tell them, you know,
that it's a place of worship.
It's about community, unity, and bringing everybody together.
So, the call to prayer you can hear now
is the same call to payer that will be heard
in every single house in this community.
So, they will hear that and they will know it's prayer time, so...
As an Englishman, I'm really proud of the fact
that some people have to travel all over the world
to find different cultures, different religions,
and we've got that right here on our doorstep.
I can know straightaway...
I think it's important to learn about other people's religions.
Because if you see someone of that religion,
you want to know how to treat them correctly,
and to... know their beliefs.
Different things in terms of how...
All the Scouts have had a wonderful evening
being shown around the mosque.
So, yeah, it's been a roaring success.
They were amazed by, like, how everything's so intricate,
and it's put together in such a way.
They said to me before that it was absolutely beautiful.
One circle became two circles.
'My name is Raj Bharat Patta.'
I lead the Telugu Methodist Fellowship.
'The fellowship is unique because of its multiculturalism.'
..hope to these people...
'I have a strong hope
'that faith communities can play an active role
'and are playing an active role for the building of the nation.'
There is no place for hatred in Britain.
Hi. Do you want yoghurt? Yes.
Teaching children and basically leading by example is so important
because we are living in a really intolerant world right now.
But I think when you plant those seeds when they are kids,
I think it'll set them up for life.
It's about the opportunity to learn about other religions.
Rather than focusing sometimes on the differences,
look at the similarities, what do we have in common,
and that's what the focus is.
'I still am very hopeful for a united Britain.'
I think it's really important to recognise diversity,
with the emphasis being on respect and togetherness,
not despite of diversity, but because of diversity.
So, we're not all the same,
and that's part of what makes us so beautiful as a society.
Here with a nostalgic version of White Christmas,
the fabulous Shayne Ward.
# I'm dreaming
# Of a white Christmas
# Just like the ones I used to know
# Where the treetops glisten
# And children listen
# To hear sleigh bells
# In the snow
# I'm dreaming
# Of a white Christmas
# With every Christmas card
# I write
# May your days be merry
# And bright
# And may all of your Christmases
# Be white... #
HE HUMS ALONG
# Just like the ones I used to know
# Where the treetops glisten
# And children listen
# To hear sleigh bells
# In the snow
# I'm dreaming
# Of a white Christmas
# With every Christmas card
# I write
# May your days be merry
# And bright
# And all of your Christmases
# Be white. #
Shayne, that was just wonderful.
Thank you. Oh.
Absolute classic, isn't it? Absolute classic.
It's one of those songs that I've grown up
and it's always been one of my favourites to sing.
This is the first time singing it, actually.
Well, I mean, you say that...
I feel like you went away and then you came back.
Where've you been?
I've missed music. Right.
I really have, so the opportunity to sing here and for you
is just an absolute dream.
So, yeah, I'm happy to be back doing music again.
And you say you're back doing music, you really are, aren't you?
You've got a lot planned for 2026.
I certainly have. I took a trip to Nashville, which...
Have you ever been to Nashville? I have.
It's that. It's the place of the King!
Isn't it just, right?
And I went there, cos I grew up, I'm from a big Irish family,
so I grew up listening to, you know, a lot of country and Irish music.
My mum's fave singer is Patsy Cline. Ah!
I was over there... Understandably.
Yeah, so I went over there,
and I've written a load of great country pop songs.
So I'm looking forward to getting 2026 going with some new music.
Well, you sound like you're gonna be very busy,
so hopefully you get a restful Christmas.
I have two beautiful kids... Ah!
..who are gonna make sure that I don't rest, and I'm so for it.
You're going to be up at, like, 5am! I certainly am, yeah.
We wish you a lovely Christmas. Thank you very much, and you.
Isaiah, chapter 9.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light,
on those living in the land of deep darkness, a light has dawned.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne and over the kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice
and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Up next, we have the extremely talented Catherine Tyldesley
with a beautiful version of a Nat King Cole Christmas classic.
# Chestnuts roasting
# On an open fire
# Jack Frost nipping
# At your nose
# Yuletide carols being sung
# By a choir
# And folks dressed up like Eskimos
# Everybody knows a turkey
# And some mistletoe
# Help to keep
# The season bright
# Tiny tots
# With their eyes all aglow
# Will find it hard to sleep tonight
# They know that Santa's
# On his way
# He's loaded lots of toys And goodies
# On his sleigh
# And every mother's child
# Is gonna try
# To see if reindeer really know
# How to fly
# And so I'm offering
# This simple phrase
# To kids from one to 92
# Although it's been said
# Many times, many ways
# Merry Christmas
# To you
# They know that Santa's
# On his way
# He's loaded lots of toys And goodies
# On his sleigh
# And every mother's child
# Is gonna try
# To see if reindeer really know
# How to fly
# And so I'm offering
# This simple phrase
# To kids from one to 92
# Although it's said
# Many times, many ways
# Merry Christmas
# To you. #
Catherine, that was a wonderful performance.
You must be in the Christmas spirit now.
I'm slightly obsessed with Christmas.
I adore everything about it.
It's just such a special time of year.
You just love it.
From the cooking to the decorations, the presents...
The presents, everything.
The sparkle. It's just...
And, you know, getting to spend that time with family and friends
that you don't always get to do. Yeah.
It's just lovely. A real treat, isn't it?
Yeah.
I don't feel like you've got much downtime, though,
cos you've just returned...
2025 has been big. You've just returned to the cobbles.
Yeah. Yeah, very lucky.
We've been super busy,
and Christmas Day is pretty explosive, actually.
No spoilers. No spoilers, but tune in.
But no surprises either that it's explosive. Yes.
You would never get a calm one on Corrie, would you? No, never.
It's wonderful, so, yeah, it's... it's great to be back.
This time, though, you're there as the landlady.
Yes. Is that something different for you?
No pressure at all!
Yeah, it's... I mean, it's such an honour to be landlady.
Yeah. You grow up watching these iconic, strong, feisty women
coming in and out of the Rovers and...
to be asked to do that is a real honour.
We're looking forward to that. Thank you.
Watching the explosions, making us feel a little bit better
about our own family situations.
Absolutely, yes.
What will you be doing on Christmas Day?
I just love sitting down, watching great television,
eating anything that doesn't move.
Very chilled and just being with the kids.
It's a lovely time for us, a lovely bit of downtime.
You enjoy that downtime. Thank you.
Merry Christmas, that was incredible.
Merry Christmas, thank you.
Given my advancing years,
I am now, officially, one of those blokes
who moans about the Christmas decorations
going up earlier every year.
If indeed it is true,
and not a figment of a middle-aged imagination,
perhaps it's happening for a reason.
Maybe people are putting up their tree earlier...
..because they're looking for more hope and cheer
in a world that seems short of both.
Hope is still very much out there, though,
if you look hard for it.
It's there in the way ordinary people
are responding to extraordinary times.
People like Samir Zitouni,
the train guard whose brave intervention
on a Doncaster-to-London service undoubtedly saved lives.
Or heroes like Adrian Daulby and Melvin Cravitz,
who, at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation,
alongside Rabbi Daniel Walker,
protected their fellow worshippers from the attacker,
but sadly with Adrian and Melvin losing their lives in the process.
It is certainly there in the actions
of Greater Manchester's police officers,
firefighters and paramedics,
some of whom are with us this evening,
who were on the scene within minutes
and put themselves in harm's way.
Hope was also visible in the days afterwards
when people of all faiths and none
rallied around our Jewish community.
Millions of brilliant people across Britain
are helping each other out every day,
sharing a joke and a kind word, giving their time for free
in our voluntary organisations and in our sports clubs.
So, as we approach 2026, let's all make a resolution.
Get out there more, meet and talk to each other,
listen to different points of view
and focus on the things we have in common.
But in the meantime, let's be present with each other,
have a merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.
This year has been a great year for British sport.
Champions of Europe in football and the world in rugby.
Sport plays such an important role in providing a space
where no matter your background, ethnicity or abilities,
everyone can find enjoyment and purpose within a team.
From grassroots to a global platform,
Manchester United and England star Ella Toone
talks about the power and support teammates provide.
ELLA: I started playing football really young. I think I was about...
five years old, something like that.
But first went to a team when I was about five, six,
the local grassroots team.
I absolutely love grassroots.
It's where I started in my journey,
it made me the person and the player I am today.
It was where I fell in love with the game.
I think sport's really important to feel like you're involved in a team.
You meet so many different people,
so many different personalities and characters.
And I think that's what's so important about a team,
that everybody's different,
everybody's been on their own journey
and everybody's accepted into that.
To be a team, I think it's a really special connection.
I feel like when you're a team, you're really something special,
and you can work together, and you can do anything.
I've been through so much away from the pitch
in the past couple of years.
Obviously, lost my dad,
which was the hardest thing in the world,
but I think when you're a part of a team
and you're in a team and...
you know, you've got people there
who you can speak to every single day.
And, yeah, they definitely got me through
probably the toughest time in my whole life.
COACH: Ruby! Yeah?
Ruby, don't stand still!
Good, now cover the ball up. Go on, now play.
The ET7 Academy is an academy that I set up over a year ago now.
We're in two venues with over 100 girls in it.
Being a female footballer now,
it's so important to give back as best as I can
to really help inspire young girls and be in a place
where girls can come and start their journeys
to enjoy football, to fall in love with football.
Good. One more pass! Good, Ellie!
From coming here, I've learnt multiple skills,
I've met some of my best friends.
I enjoy being part of a team because, like,
you get to make new friends, and they all include you a bit more.
Football to me means everything, it means the world.
It's everything I wanna do when I get home from school.
Three, two, one, move! Go, go, go, go, go.
I love coming down, I love watching them train.
Connecting with people who really look up to me
and are inspired by me.
And I think it's amazing to be able
to use my platform in the best way possible.
Good! OK.
Access Sport is a national sport-for-development charity,
and we're focused on ensuring that all young people have access
to the benefits of inclusive community sport.
We train, equip and support
community sports clubs all over the country
to support young people in their local communities,
no matter what their background or ability levels.
We believe that every sport can be made to be more inclusive,
so we work with pretty much every sport you can think of.
We've got a partnership with British Cycling.
Similarly in tennis, in basketball, rugby league.
Sport means everything to me.
I love biking the most,
but all of the other sports are so cool, too.
Anybody can come and have fun and ride a pump track like this.
It's inclusive for everybody.
Projects like this are really important
in building stronger communities,
and we know that 97%
of the young people that have participated in clubs
feel that sense of belonging.
Biking brings people together.
And also, yeah, it's just the sickest thing,
it's like the most fun thing.
This is really important work.
Luke, chapter 1.
In the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God
to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David.
The virgin's name was Mary.
And he came to her and said,
"Greetings, favoured one. The Lord is with you."
But she was much perplexed by his words
and pondered what sort of greetings this might be.
The angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God.
"And now you will conceive in your womb
"and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.
"He will be great
"and will be called the Son of the Most High,
"and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestors, David.
"He will reign over the house of Jacob forever,
"and of his kingdom, there will be no end."
It's almost 35 years since our next act brought us
his smash hit Thinking About Your Love,
and he's here today to sing a festive favourite.
RHYTHMIC CYMBALS
DOUBLE BASS MELODY
# You better watch out You'd better not cry
# You'd better not pout I'm telling you why
# Santa Claus is coming to town... #
BRASS STING
# He's making a list He's checking it twice
# He's gonna find out Who's naughty or nice
# Santa Claus is coming to town
# He sees you when you're sleeping
# And he knows when you're awake
# He knows if you've been Bad or good
# So be good, for goodness' sake
# You'd better watch out You better not cry
# You'd better not pout I'm telling you why
# Santa Claus is coming to town
# He's coming to town, yeah
# He's coming to town Yeah, yeah
# Yes, he
# Santa's coming to town
# Now, he sees you When you're sleeping
# And he knows if you're awake
# And he knows when you've been Bad or good
# So be good, for goodness' sake
# Well, you better watch out
# You better not cry
# You better not pout I'm telling you why
# Santa Claus is coming to town
# You better watch out
# You better not cry
# You better not pout I'm telling you why
# Santa Claus is coming
# I mean the big fat man With the long white beard
# He's coming
# To town. #
Kenny, powerful set of vocals there! Thank you very much.
Just brilliant.
And it's a good reminder for us
to check our behaviour with hours to go.
Absolutely. Do you think you're on the nice or the naughty list?
I might have just made it onto the... the nice list.
I would think so. With that performance, you're in!
Thank you. So, talking of performances,
you're back on the road again, aren't you, touring?
I am, yeah. Out touring in 2026 in March.
Doing some fairly big venues and, yeah, just keeping busy.
So you have got this new album out that...
You haven't recorded for 15 years, so that must be so exciting.
Yeah, it's great to have put a nice body of work together.
There's some great songs in there. It's been fun, it's been pleasant.
And not so much pressure, like the old days, with record companies,
so I could do it in my own...
take my own time with it, and it's come out real nice.
Congratulations. And what are you gonna be doing at Christmas Day?
What are the plans for tomorrow?
Oh, well, I'll be with the children,
and no doubt eating too much.
Well, I wish you a very merry Christmas.
Thank you, Kenny. Thank you. Take care, Myleene.
Up next, we have the award-winning EAGA Choir
performing an awe-inspiring medley of carols.
# The first Noel
# The angels did say
# Was to certain poor shepherds
# In fields as they lay
# Keeping their sheep
# On a cold winter's night
# That was so deep
# Noel, Noel
# Born is the King of Israel
# Noel, Noel
# Born is the King
# Of Israel
# The first Noel
# The angels did say
# Was to certain poor shepherds
# In fields as they lay
# Keeping their sheep
# On a cold winter's night
# That was so deep
# Noel, Noel
# Born is the King of Israel
# Noel, Noel
# Born is the King of Israel
# Noel
# Born is the King of Israel
# Ooh
# Hark how the bells Sweet silver bells
# All seem to say "Throw cares away"
# Christmas is here Ding
# Bringing good cheer Dong
# To young and old Ding
# Meek and the bold Dong
# Ding-dong, ding-dong Ding
# That is their song Dong
# With joyful ring, all carolling Ding-dong
# One seems to hear Words of good cheer
# From everywhere, filling the air
# Oh, how they pound Raising the sound
# O'er hill and dale Telling their tale
# Gaily they ring while people sing
# Songs of good cheer Christmas is here
# Ding-dong, ding-dong That is their song
# Merry, merry, merry With joyful ring
# All carolling
# Ding-dong, that is their song... #
THEY VOCALISE
# O come, all ye faithful
# Joyful and triumphant
# O come ye
# To Bethlehem
# O, come Come and
# Behold him
# Born the King
# Of angels
# O come, let us adore him
# He's Christ
# The Lord. #
2025 was the UK's hottest year on record,
having experienced persistently warm temperatures both day and night,
and wildfires in places that have never seen them before.
The threat of climate change has become an issue that happens here
as well as other parts of the world.
A charity dedicated to bringing new life into urban areas
is City of Trees.
They operate as a community forest,
coaching members of the public into becoming Citizen Foresters,
promoting community connections and health and wellbeing.
GENTLE CHATTER
City of Trees is a community forest for Greater Manchester.
We plant trees, we look after trees,
and we kind of promote a culture of trees.
And what I'm gonna make sure when I'm planting my tree
is that all of the roots are covered.
Today, we're out on one of our Citizen Forester days.
We invite the public to come out with us
and engage in woodland management activities
or tree-planting activities.
For us, the Citizen Foresters are so invaluable.
We couldn't do the amount of work that we do without them.
We're always down for this type of activity.
We think it's great to be outdoors,
especially in such a nice park as this.
It's nice to come here and spend the day in nature.
And, yeah, it's been really fun.
People seem to always really enjoy coming out
and being in nature with us.
A lot of people will come and say
that they didn't really know that this space was here.
A lot of people haven't planted a tree before,
so it's really exciting when we get people down,
and they get to plant their first tree with us.
By planting trees,
we're ensuring that there's a continuous sustainable canopy cover,
which will support lots of different wildlife as well,
and also just providing this beautiful space
that individuals and the local community can use.
The guys behind me are going through the woodland,
and they are pulling up some ash trees.
Ash is a native tree, but it self-seeds really readily
and kind of covers the woodland floor.
Managing the woodland takes lots of different forms,
so it does mean cutting trees down AND planting trees.
When we're doing this work,
it is all about helping people connect with nature
and get outdoors and take ownership of their local green space,
learn a new skill, meet new people.
It's all connected.
CHATTER AND LAUGHTER
You hear an awful lot of bad news
about green spaces and the environment,
and I think actually getting my hands dirty and involved,
it allows me to do my part for the local environment.
As one of England's community forests, it's really great
that we can bring people from all walks of life together.
And, you know, whatever reason that they're coming in,
they're finding a way to connect with nature all together.
It is so warming and encouraging
to go out and make your mark on the world
in terms of planting a few trees,
and it's been a proper day's work.
Luke, chapter 2.
So Joseph went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee
to Judea, to Bethlehem, the town of David,
because he belonged to the house and line of David.
He went there to register with Mary,
who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.
While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born,
and she gave birth to her first-born, a son.
She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger,
because there was no room for them at the inn.
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby,
keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone down around them,
and they were terrified.
But the angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid.
"I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
"Today, in the town of David, a saviour has been born to you.
"He is the Messiah, the Lord."
GENTLE PIANO PLAYING
GENTLE CELLO PLAYING
Our Christmas traditions are interesting.
Community Christmas lights, Midnight Mass,
and, of course, Christmas jumpers.
In our family, we book up tickets for a Christmas show,
but choosing our seats is the biggest challenge.
Front row in the stalls?
OK, but there could be embarrassing audience participation.
Cheaper side seats, maybe?
It's a risk and possibly a restricted view, too.
Choosing somewhere to sit at the theatre is never perfect.
But the hope of Christmas
is that there is an absolute perfection in Christ,
who brings love to all.
If you found yourself in a bad seat in your world this year,
it is the coming together of others to help and support
that transforms our difficult experiences
and restores them.
Even bad seats in life or restricted views
can be transformed by shared hope.
And it's not because the view doesn't matter,
but that unity matters much more.
Each one of us has an opportunity in 2026
to do and be the best we can as part of the human family.
Our connections are as wide as we want them to be -
across faith communities, across cultures,
all of us hearing the heart call to be one.
God is with us wherever we choose to sit in this beautiful world,
to share with all who are known and loved by God.
So may the love, joy, hope and peace of Christmas remind you
that this Christmas and every Christmas,
the Holy One comes to draw you closer to holiness
and closer to the holiness that is in you and me,
waiting to be born again.
Grant us the patience, love and forgiveness
needed to cultivate healthy and nurturing connections with others.
Strengthen the bonds with our families,
friendships and communities.
Let nothing disturb you this Christmas.
Let nothing frighten you this Christmas.
All things are changing with the birth of the Christ Child.
Spirit alone is changeless.
Patience attains the good.
One who sits with The Source of Life lacks nothing.
The Holy One alone fills our needs this Christmas and always.
Amen.
CONGREGATION: Amen.
Thank you to the Venerable Karen Best
for her closing prayer.
Well, I do hope that you have enjoyed tonight's carol concert
as much as we have.
It is time to say good night
and to thank our incredible congregation,
our choir, our band,
and, of course, our special guest performers.
I do hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year.
Good night.
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