There will be a special celebration this Christmas, with Spurgeon Baptist Church presenting a return of ‘Carols for Everybody’ at Water Eaton Church Centre, on Saturday 15th December at 7:30 pm – admission by programme, available on the door for £1. This special event is to celebrate Christmas with a mix of traditional carols and compositions by the late Trude Bedford, a previously well-known local musician, who would have celebrated her 100th birthday this year. The original events were created by Trude, who was choir-mistress and organist at the church for over 50 years.

The choir is made up of singers old and new, with a good number of the voices having appeared in the original concerts over the years. The singers’ enthusiasm has not diminished, even if their voices are a little older, balanced by newer voices of singers who have joined the church after the concerts finished, but also include some children of the original choir members who were simply too young (or not even born) first time round!

‘Carols for Everybody’, commenced in Spurgeon’s former home in Aylesbury Street, Fenny Stratford in 1961, later moving to the Water Eaton Church Centre in 1976. The choir was then augmented by members of St Frideswide’s choir and other musical friends. The event became so popular that it had to be extended to two evenings. The last event was held in 1993. The evening will include traditional carols for choir and audience and an old favourite composition by Trude – ‘the Legend of the Forest’. Proceeds from programmes and donations will be given to charities. Refreshments follow. Don’t miss it!