Media Release

Sherborne Christmas brings music to your ears!

The sound of music will be filling the Dorset market town of Sherborne this Christmas as a whole range of musical events and festivities scheduled through December create the right note for attracting shoppers and visitors to this popular location.

Two joyful seventeenth century works will start the musical smorgasbord at Sherborne Abbey on 5 December when the Sherborne Chamber Choir performs its Baroque Christmas featuring the Praetorius Christmas Mass and Schûtz Christmas Story. There will a mix of unusual Baroque instruments as well as many hymns that people will recognise. Tickets start from £5 - £20, and are available from Sherborne Tourist Information Centre, Digby Road.

A musical thriller adds some spice to the Christmas mix with tickets available for the Joint Schools Production of Sondheim's Sweeney Todd on at Sherborne School from 2 - 5 December. Email: tickets@sherborne.org or telephone Sherborne School 01935 812249.

Sunday 6 December will see Sherborne's very popular Festive Shopping Day which features street performers and stilt walkers, choirs, bands, carollers and dancers plus crafts and artisan markets featuring a host of delicious Christmas goodies. Sherborne Abbey will be hosting Shoppers Carols in the afternoon followed by a Christingle Service at 5pm and Sherborne Museum will be opening to visitors with a great display of unusual gifts from its Museum shop. Of course the man who knows all about gifts, Santa Claus, will be dropping into the Waitrose grotto and the traditional Christmas tree lighting will take place at 4pm alongside The Conduit.

Even more Christmas trees will be on display at Sherborne's annual Christmas Tree Festival which always delights as local groups and organisations create a colourful collection of decorated trees in the Cheap Street Church -a fabulous way to celebrate the festive season. From tinsel and twinkling stars to bold red garlands and jolly snowmen, this collection of gaily decorated trees is inspirational and the display opens daily between 5 - 13 December and is free to visit.

Sherborne Town Band will be playing outside Barclays Bank, Cheap Street on 12 December and shoppers are invited to drop by to listen to some favourite numbers between 11am and 1pm. On 14 December there is an opportunity to hear more Christmas music when the Abbey hosts its" Gift to the Town" in the form of a free concert entitled Sherborne Christmas, starting at 7.30pm.

There are also plenty of other events taking place to appeal to the other four senses including a Christmas Exhibition at The Jerram Gallery, open daily from 27 November to 23 December and featuring new work by 15 selected artists. Contact Mark Jerram on 01935 815261.

For the first time visitor Sherborne boasts one of the West Country's biggest Christmas decoration shops at Castle Gardens which is set in the 18th century walled kitchen gardens of the castle.

On 5 December the Digby Church Hall will be staging Crafts for Christmas. More info from www.westcountrycraftfairs.co.uk and Sherborne's popular Big Little Market will be making an appearance on 6 December at the Digby Church Hall.

This year Sherborne will be treated to its own pantomime with performances of Aladdin by Sherborne Amateur Pantomime Society, at Digby Hall on 21 and 22 December, 6.30pm (Monday) and 2.30pm and 6.30pm (Tuesday). Tickets are available from Tourism Information Centre.

And finally, to round off this musical sensory feast, the traditional Sherborne Abbey Carol Service will be held on 20 December at 3pm.

To appreciate more of what Sherborne has to offer, take a look at this new video posted on the Visit Sherborne YouTube channel:  https://youtu.be/nuEtLjDtF8I

Picture captions: "Sparkling Cheap Street" ©Malcolm Balmer; Ukulele players in Sherborne ©Josie Elias; Sherborne Abbey ©Josie Elias; Stilt Walkers ©Josie Elias

Contact Sherborne Tourist Information Centre for details and info about the area: sherborne.tic@westdorset-weymouth.gov.uk or visit www.sherbornedorset.co.uk .

More press information and hi res images: Jane Adkins, A Head for PR Ltd, T/: 01935 813114; M/: 07960698089 or E/: jane@aheadforpr.co.uk

November 2015 (Sherborne 09)