cambridge made christmas fair

What’s on in Cambridge – December 2018

There’s so much wonderful stuff going on in the city this month. On this listing, you’ll find carol concerts, Christmas music, ballet, pantomime, Dickens and more! Please get in touch if you know of other events that I can include here.

Holly wreath

1 – 9th 10 – 4pm Anglian Pottery Christmas Selling Exhibition. All Saints’ Church, Jesus Lane. Free entry. http://www.anglianpotters.org.uk

1st 10.30 – 4.30pm Mill Road Winter Fair. Facebook: Mill Road Winter Fair 2018 Read more about last year’s Mill Road Winter Fair here

1st Cambridge Made Christmas Fair. St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, CB2. Facebook: Cambridge Made Christmas Fair 2018 Read more about Cambridge Made and last year’s Christmas Fair here

1st 7.30pm Christmas Oratorio, JS Bach. Clare College Choir and The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com

1st 7.30pm Messiah. Handel. St John’s Voices and Cambridge Baroque Camerata. St John’s College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com

1st Dec – 6 Jan Aladdin. Cambridge Arts Theatre. http://www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

2nd 5.30pm Candlelit Service of music and readings for Advent. Great St Mary’s Church http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk

4th 7.30pm “The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance.” Cambridge ghost stories for Christmas with Robert Lloyd Parry of Nunkie Productions. Cambridge Museum of Technology, Cheddars Lane, CB5. http://www.museumoftechnology.com http://www.nunkie.co.uk

5th 5 – 8pm Rowan Winter Warmer. http://www.rowanhumberstone.co.uk Read more about Rowan, their Winter Warmer and the upcoming “Cambridge Seen” art exhibition here

5 – 31st Snow White. Cambridge Junction. http://www.junction.co.uk

7 – 8th 7.30pm A Christmas Carol. Adapted and performed by Martin Prest. The Leper Chapel, Newmarket Road, CB5. http://www.adcticketing.com

8th 3pm In Dulci Jubilo. Erasmus Chamber Choir and Ensemble. Bach, Buxtehude and Bellis. Choral preludes, motets and carols for Advent and Christmas. St Columba’s Church, Downing Street. Free entry.

8th 7pm Messiah by candlelight. Handel. Eboracum Baroque. Great St Mary’s Church. In aid of Cancer Research. http://www.eboracumbaroque.co.uk

8th 7.30pm Bernstein on Broadway. Cambridge Philharmonic. West Road Concert Hall http://www.cambridgephilharmonic.com

8th 8pm Music for Advent and Christmas. Music by Parsons, Darke and Dove and carols for audience participation. Fairhaven Singers. Trinity College Chapel. http://www.fairhavensingers.org.uk

10th 7.30pm Mr Charles Dickens presents A Christmas Carol. Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road. http://www.anglia.ac.uk/mumfordtheatre

11th 7.30pm O Holy Night. Seasonal music, festive favourites and Christmas carols. Choir of Jesus College. Jesus College Chapel. http://www.adcticketing.com

11th 7.45pm The Soldier by Rachel Wagstaff. A play based on the life of Rupert Brooke. In support of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Orchard Tea Garden, Grantchester. http://www.meshtheatre.com/tickets.html

12th 5 – 8pm Fairtrade Christmas gift shopping evening. Cafe Abantu, Hobson Street. Ethical shopping with complimentary mulled wine and mince pies. Read more about Cafe Abantu here

12th 8pm A Ceremony of Carols. Seasonal music for choir and harp. Britten, Rutter, Warlock and others. Traditional carols and contemporary settings. Granta Chorale. Corpus Christi College Chapel. Raising money for Jimmy’s Night Shelter. http://www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

13 – 15th The Nutcracker. Ballet Central. Adapted 45 minute performance. ADC Theatre http://www.adctheatre.com Read more about this production of The Nutcracker here

15th 11am – 12 noon Jingle All The Way. Christmas carols, songs and fun for all the family. Cambridge Chorale. Great St Mary’s Church. Tickets from http://www.adcticketing.com or on the door.

15th 3pm and 4pm Carol Services at Michaelhouse, Trinity Street. http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk

15th 5pm Welcome All Wonders. Cantata for choir, organ and trumpet, celebrating the Christmas story. Cambridge Chorale. Great St Mary’s Church. Tickets from http://www.adcticketing.com or on the door.

15th 7.30pm Amahl and the Night Visitors (Menotti) and A Ceremony of Carols (Britten). New Cambridge Singers. Church of St John the Evangelist, Hills Road. http://www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk

16th 3.30pm and 5.30pm Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Prime Brass with Junior Prime Brass and choirs. West Road Concert Hall. http://www.adcticketing.com

18 – 22nd Peter Pan. Cambridge Theatre Company. Great Hall at The Leys, CB2. http://www.cambridgelivetrust/tickets

18 – 23rd 3pm Nine Lessons and Images. A Christmas Tour of the Fitzwilliam Museum. http://www.eventbrite.co.uk (tickets at 9 Images) or email roblloydparry@hotmail.com. 50% of all ticket sales goes to Wintercomfort.

20th 6.30pm Chesterton Community Carols. Carols with brass band, refreshments and High Wired Circus performing a festive show. St Andrew’s Church, Chesterton. Free entry, collection for Wintercomfort.

23rd 6.30pm Carols by Candlelight. Great St Mary’s Church http://www.gsm.cam.ac.uk

29 – 31st and 1 Jan The Nutcracker/Swan Lake. St Petersburg Classic Ballet. Cambridge Corn Exchange http://www.cornex.co.uk

Coming up in Cambridge …..

Cambridge International Jazz Festival runs from 13 – 27 November, bringing together the many strands of the city’s strong jazz scene and welcoming national and international jazz acts too. With a crammed schedule of vibrant live music at locations across Cambridge and celebrating a wide variety of jazz styles, the programme includes workshops (if you want to learn how to Lindy Hop, now’s your chance!), talks, films, family events and free entry fringe events. For full programme details and tickets, check out the Festival website www.cambridgejazzfestival.info

“Buy less, choose well, make it last” is designer Dame Vivienne Westwood’s message. With this mantra ringing in their ears, Cambridge Carbon Footprint brings us the Sustainable Fashion Festival on 17 November at St Barnabas Church on Mill Road, for all Cambridge fashionistas and for anyone who cares about the huge negative impact that fast fashion has on the environment. You’ll find a clothes swap party, a sewing themed textiles repair cafe, an interactive fashion show, sewing skillshares, a styling zone, workshops, talks and pop up sustainable fashion stalls offering new and vintage clothing. Take a look at www.cambridgecarbonfootprint.org for more.

Sustainable Fashion Festival Cambridge — Image: Sustainable Fashion Festival

So it’s that time of year ….. I’m making a list and checking it twice before heading off to Cambridge Made Christmas Fair which is my go to for original Christmas presents. The Fair is running from 29 November to 1 December at St. Andrew’s Street Baptist Church and will showcase the work of forty four designer-makers, artists and craftspeople. You’ll find a huge variety of handmade goodies including ceramics, jewellery, textiles, quilts, botanical toiletries, cards, decorations, toys and homewares. More details on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/events/927219054144713/

Image credit: Purplespoon Design

This post is part of my “New in Cambridge” column in the November issue of Velvet Magazine. Read more on http://www.velvetmag.co.uk

What’s on in November

As the nights draw in and the leaves crunch under our feet, it’s another busy month here in Cambridge. This what’s on listing for November is by no means exhaustive but you’ll find an eclectic mix of events that have come to my attention. Please get in touch through my Contact page if you know of an event that I can add in. And I’ll try to update through the month, so do check back when you can.

Autumn morning on Midsummer Common Cambridge — Autumn morning on Midsummer Common, image by Harriet Kelsall

1st 6pm Parisian Women and the Nazi Occupation, uncovering their lives and their relationships. Part of the Liberation Literature Lecture Series. The Auditorium, Robinson College. Booking essential. http://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk

2nd 7.30pm Michaelmas Concert. Vaughan Williams, Stanford and Beethoven. Clare College Music Society. West Road Concert Hall, CB3

3rd Remembering the First World War. Literature Cambridge Study Day. Stapleford Granary, CB22 5BP http://www.literaturecambridge.co.uk Read more about Literature Cambridge here

3rd 1pm Voices and Viols, Laments of the Renaissance. Carissimi, Gibbons, Weelkes and Byrd. Erasmus Chamber Choir with Cambridge University Consort of Viols. St. Clements Church, Bridge Street, CB2

6th Translation as Music, Music as Translation. Part of Women, Languages and Translation in the Italian Tradition Conference. Talk 4.50 – 5.30pm. Concert 6 – 7pm Bach, Chopin and Brahms. Clare College. Advance registration required on womenandtranslation2018@gmail.com

7th 5 – 9pm Late at the Fitzwilliam: Feminist Takeover. Fitzwilliam Museum http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/calendar/events

9th (until 12th Dec) 10am – 6pm Metamorphoses & Other Prints, an exhibition of art works by David Brown. http://www.clarehall.cam.ac.uk

9 – 10th Cambridge Festival of Ukrainian Film. Winstanley Theatre, Trinity College. http://www.CambridgeUkrainianStudies.org

9th 7pm West Road Remembers, a remembrance concert. West Road Concert Hall, CB3

10th 3pm History of Tango. Talk and dance demonstration by Cambridge Tango Academy. St Paul’s Church, Hills Road, CB2. http://www.cambridgelivetickets.co.uk

10th 3.15pm O Nata Lux. London Oriana Choir. Monteverdi, Vaughan-Williams, Britten, Andrew, Hagan and Dale. Queens’ College Chapel. Free entry. http://www.londonoriana.com

10th 7.30pm Pujol Plays Tango. St Paul’s Church, Hills Road, CB2. http://www.pujolcambridge.com

10th 7.30pm A Farewell to Arms, an evening of music to reflect on war and peace. Fairhaven Singers. Queens’ College Chapel. http://www.fairhavensingers.org.uk

10th 8pm The Seraphin Chamber Orchestra. Mahler and Schubert. Emmanuel United Reformed Church, CB2 http://www.seraphinchamberorchestra.com

11th 8.30pm An evening of new choral and orchestral music to commemorate the WW1 armistice centenary. The Phoenix Choir and The Phoenix Ensemble. Great St Mary’s Church, CB2. http://www.adcticketing.com/armistice or tickets on the door

12th 7.45pm Science meets Faith: Issues concerning palliative and end of life care. Dr Stephen Barclay. Wesley Church, CB1

13 – 27th Cambridge International Jazz Festival http://www.cambridgejazzfestival.info

14 – 17th Cambridge Beer Festival. University Social Club, Mill Lane, CB2 http://www.cambridgebeerfestival.com

14 – 26th Cambridge Music Festival http://www.cambridgemusicfestival.co.uk

16th 7.30pm A Courtly Garland. Orpheus Britannicus. Grossi, Handel, Finger and Torelli. Trinity Hall, CB2 http://www.trinhall.cam.ac.uk/news-events/events

17th The North Pole Ice Rink opens. Parker’s Piece, CB1. http://www.thenorthpolecambridge.co.uk

17th 11am – 4.30pm Sustainable Fashion Festival. St Barnabas Church, Mill Road, CB1 http://www.circularcambridge.org/fashion. Read more here

17th 8pm Trinity Singers Concert. Rossini’s Petite Messe Solonnelle. Trinity College Chapel.

17th 7.30pm Raise your Voices Cambridge. A variety of musical styles and songs, raising money for Church Urban Fund. Great St Mary’s Church, CB2 http://www.raiseyourvoices.org.uk

18th 11am – 4pm Naomi Davies Art Winter Open Studio. Cake, carols, cards, gifts and paintings. 151 Hobart Road, CB1 http://naomidaviesart.co.uk/winter-open-studio-on-18-november/

18th 5pm Christmas Lights Switch On. Market Square, CB1

23 – 25th Cambridge Literary Festival http://www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com

24th 8pm Enchantment and Passion. Delibes, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Khachaturian. Cambridge Graduate Orchestra. West Road Concert Hall, CB3. http://www.cambridgegraduateorchestra.com

29th – 1st Dec Cambridge Made Christmas Fair. St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, CB2 Facebook: Cambridge Made Christmas Fair 2018 Read more about Cambridge Made and last year’s Christmas Fair here

30th 6 – 8pm Pots for Poverty. Charity sale raising funds for Jimmy’s Night Shelter. The Locker Cafe, King Street, CB1. Read more about last year’s Pots for Poverty here

30th 6 – 9pm Late at Kettle’s Yard. Kettle’s Yard, CB3. http://www.kettlesyard.co.uk/events/late-at-kettles-yard

Autumn colour in Trumpington Street Cambridge — Autumn colour on Trumpington Street