Ding Dong! Merrily on High
A French dance tune from 1589 with words George Ratcliffe Woodward added in 1924, sung by eight voices. It sits well after a reading, with the congregation joining the Gloria refrain.
Choir for your Christmas carol service
Nine Lessons and Carols, company and charity services
- Four singers from £1,150, enough to lead 150 people
- An organist for the carols, £250
- The same price in December, London travel included
- A written quote within one working day
Booking singers for a party, a reception, or a lobby? See carol singers for events.
Once in Royal David’s City, sung by our full choir
Companies, charities, and livery companies often book a church for an evening in December and then need musicians to fill it. You settle the date with the incumbent; we bring the choir and, if you want the carols accompanied, an organist.
“We hire the London Choral Service for our annual carol service every December. The choir knows the building, the format, and exactly what we need. Our partners and clients look forward to it each year.”
“Organising a carol service for 300 people felt daunting but Luca handled everything. The programme was perfect — traditional enough for the older partners, fresh enough that it didn’t feel stale. Superb.”
The singers trained at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal College of Music, and Britain’s other conservatoires.
What we do at a carol service
The first thing we agree is which carols the congregation sings and which the choir takes alone. Four singers will lead a room of 150 through Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; eight will carry a church of 400. In between, the choir sings the pieces a congregation cannot: the Willcocks descants, Poston’s Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, an unaccompanied Gaudete. Six of each is the usual balance for an hour.
The running order is yours to choose. A liturgical service follows the Nine Lessons and Carols pattern from King’s College: a bidding prayer, nine readings, a carol after each, and a blessing at the end. A secular running order drops the prayers and puts a chief executive, a patron, or a beneficiary in the reading slots, usually with the appeal before the last carol. Either runs to about an hour. Our Christmas carols guide covers the carols most services draw on.
A full carol service usually calls for a choir of eight with an organist. We can bring an organist who knows the instrument, added to any choir for £250, to accompany the congregational carols and play the voluntaries before and after. The choir can also sing unaccompanied throughout.
We deal with the building direct. Once you confirm the booking, we contact the clergy, the verger, and the church’s organist about access, rehearsal time, and the order of service, then send you the arrival and rehearsal times. The choir rehearses in the church on the day, before the doors open.
Pricing
One figure, quoted in writing, for the length of the service. It covers the singers, the music, and the arrangements with the church.
£1,150
Small Choir (4)
£1,400
Quintet (5)
£1,600
Sextet (6)
£2,000
Full Choir (8)
£3,000
Chorus (12)
+ £250
Organist
A full choir of eight with an organist comes to £2,250. Our prices include taxes and travel within Greater London, and a December date costs the same as one in June. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day carry a premium of around 25%, which we confirm in the written quote before you commit.
How it works
1
Send us the date and the church
Tell us the church, the date, and the kind of service. We reply with choir options and a written quote within one working day.
2
We plan the service with you
Luca agrees the carols and the running order with you, then arranges access and rehearsal time with the church.
3
We rehearse and sing
The choir and organist rehearse in the church before the doors open, then sing the service.
Frequently asked questions
Can you help us put together the order of service?
Yes. Luca drafts the running order with you and marks which carols the congregation sings and which the choir sings alone. He can follow the Nine Lessons and Carols pattern or a secular order with readers of your choosing, and we send you the final music list for the printed order of service.
Do we need the church’s permission for a carol service with a visiting choir?
Yes. You arrange the church and the date with the incumbent, and we sing there with the church’s permission. Once you confirm the booking, we contact the clergy and the verger about access, rehearsal time, and the order of service, so you do not have to arrange it yourself.
Can you bring an organist for the carol service?
Yes. We can bring an organist who knows the instrument, added to any choir for £250, to accompany the congregational carols and play voluntaries before and after the service. We coordinate with the church’s organist and verger.
When does the choir rehearse for a carol service?
On the day, in the church, before the doors open. The singers arrive knowing the music, so we use the rehearsal to settle the acoustic, the positions, and the hand-overs between choir, organist, and congregation.
Will the choir lead the congregation in the carols?
Yes. Four singers will lead a room of 150 through Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and eight will carry a church of 400. We agree beforehand which carols everyone sings and which the choir takes alone; six of each is the usual balance for an hour.
How much does a choir for a carol service cost?
A Small Choir of four is £1,150, a full choir of eight £2,000, and a chorus of twelve £3,000, and an organist adds £250. A booking covers the length of the service, and our prices include taxes and travel within Greater London. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day carry a premium of around 25%.
Check your date
Tell us the church, the date, and about how many people you expect. We reply with a written quote within one working day, usually the same day.
Thank you — we’ll be in touch shortly.
Something went wrong. Please try again, message us on WhatsApp, or call us on 07356 042468.
For the fastest reply, message us on WhatsApp, or call 07356 042468.
We reply within one working day, usually the same day.