Looking for a traditional Christmas Carol Service in Belgium in 2019? Here’s a list of where to find one. And your chance to vote for Your Favorite Carol!
Many people, whether regular church-goers or not, love to sing the traditional Christmas carols. If you’re one of those people, then I hope you can get along to one of the carol services or concerts listed below. The list is alphabetical.
ANTWERP
- Sunday 15 December @ 18.30: Traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols
- Sunday 22 December @ 10.30: Children’s Nativity
Of special interest in Antwerp are two Christmas concerts on Dec 21 and 22 in the newly renovated Antwerp Stock Exchange, which is one of the most beautiful buildings in Antwerp.
BRUGES
The English Church in Bruges: Sunday 15 December @ 18.00: Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, St. Peter’s Chapel, ‘t keerske, Keerstraat 1, Bruges.
BRUSSELS
Cathedral of Saints Michael & Gudela: Saturday 21 December @ 15.00: Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Place Sainte-Gudule, 1000 Brussels. (Sung by the Holy Trinity Brussels choir)
- Sunday 8 December @ 10.30: Nativity Play for children
- Sunday 8 December @ 18.00: Contemporary Carol Service
- Sunday 15 December @ 16.00: Family Carol Service
- Sunday 15 December @ 19.00: Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
International Protestant Church of Brussels: Tuesday 24 December @ 17.30: Christmas Eve candlelight service with carols
St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland:
- Sunday 15 December @ 11.00: Children’s Nativity Play
- Sunday 15 December @ 18.30: Nine Lessons and Carols
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church: Sunday 15 December @ 16.30: Parish Family Christmas Carol Concert
Vineyard Brussels: Wednesday 25 December @ 10.00: Christmas carol service with simultaneous translation into French
Non-church event: Brussels Carol Concert: Sunday 15 December @ 17.00
CHARLEROI
All Saint’s Episcopal Church: Sunday 8 December @ 15.45: Lessons & Carols at Christ Church, 22 Blvd Audent.
GHENT
International Catholic Community of Ghent: Friday 20 December @ 19.00: Christmas carol concert, Christus Koningkerk, Rerum-novarumplein, Ghent.
St. John’s Anglican Church: Sunday 22 December @ 11.00: Lessons and Carols
LEUVEN
St. Martha’s and St. Mary’s: Sunday 15 December @ 18.30: Ecumenical Bring-A-Friend Carol Service with the Justus Lipsius Catholic Community, Minderbroedersstraat 15, Leuven.
OSTEND
The English Church Ostend: Friday 20 December @ 19.00: Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, Lijsterbeslaan, Ostend
TERVUREN
St. Paul’s Tervuren: Sunday 15 December @ 19.30: Carol Service
WATERLOO
All Saints’ Episcopal Church: Wednesday 11 December @ 20.00: Waterloo Community Lessons & Carols Service
I advise checking the websites to verify the times and dates. The above list just focuses on carol services: most of them have other Christmas services too. These are detailed on their websites.
What’s your favorite Christmas carol?
If you’re not able to make one of the above, well, here’s a glorious rendition of my favourite carol:
Let’s have some fun!
So what is YOUR favorite Christmas carol? Below is a list of 16 famous carols. Which is your favorite? If it’s not on the list, vote for the one you like the most from these 16. And let’s see what comes Top of the (Carol) Pops among Discovering Belgium readers.
Also, if you know of other carol services taking place this December in English in Belgium, add a comment below or drop me a line and I’ll add it to the list.
Lovely article. Thanks for the PSA for English speaking Christmas services.
Don’t forget to mention our annual Advent Workshop on December 1st at the International Protestant Church of Brussels. And the Children’s Christmas Play on the 15th. We hope to see you there! 🙂
Well I was trying to focus just on Carol services Agnieszka but it’s good that you added these in the comments section. Hope they are well attended. Your son must be… 3 years old now?
I love all the Christmas carols on your list. Choosing just one was difficult.
I like to give readers a challenge Rosaliene 🤔ðŸ˜
Wish you had included Angels, We Have Heard on High. But your list did include some of my favorites and yes I voted.
Thanks Pat.
My favorite is not that well-known, and perhaps completely unknown in Belgium or the UK: “There’s a Song in the Air” based on a poem by Josiah Holland
That’s a new one for me Robert, and probably for other folk over here. For those interested in it, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fBk5H2Pkhs (Apologies Robert if you don’t like this Country version!)
thanks Denzil, I have actually never heard it sung that way, but it’s not bad!
You must make a recording of you singing it… 🎶
I don’t think my singing would put you in the holiday spirit! Unless it was Halloween! 🙂
Shucks, I thought you might be Bing Crosby II.
The video wouldn’t play. I would love to hear the carolers.
It redirected to YouTube Cindy. But I’ve now replaced it with one that’s just as good, and plays in the blog.
Love a good carol service, hope you have a lovely time in yours.
Well I certainly seem to have a wide choice! Wider than I first imagined when I started putting this post together.
I am with you on my favourite Denzil. Oh Holy Night always gives me goosebumps of joy. Looking forward to singing it again soon with our church choir.
Yes, not so long now Brigid. Although it doesn’t seem very long since we were singing it last year!
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Oh what a fantastic list to create…..wish I was in Belgium this Christmas so I could go to one!
I’ll stream one live to Portugal. 😉
You’re a superstar 😊
The service of nine lessons and carols is always lovely. My favourite, The Little Drummer Boy, isn’t even on the list but I voted for another one I like as well.
I could have made a list of 50…do you like the Bowie and Crosby version?
I don’t know that version. My favourite is by an Australian musician, Tony O’Connor. His work is instrumental with Australian bush sounds and bird songs in the background. The album it’s on is Australian Bush Christmas.
Sounds intriguing. Here’s the one I mentioned. https://youtu.be/ADbJLo4x-tk
That’s quite lovely too. There are 81 of Tony O’Connor’s pieces on Youtube but not Little Drummer Boy.
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