We’re going to toot our own trumpet 🎺 because the 2025 Kids on Track Carol Service was hands down our best yet!
Masterminded by the brilliant Lucy Burtt and her dream-team of volunteers, it was pure festive magic from start to finish. Guests arrived clutching steaming glühwein and candles, filling the twinkling church before being spellbound by Olivia’s breath taking solo of Once in Royal David’s City.
Simon Henderson had us laughing with Pick a Pine Tree, helped by mischievous elves who decorated a real tree live on stage, revealed in a glorious sparkle when the lights went down. Test Valley Junior Brass got toes tapping with Frosty the Snowman, and opera powerhouse Natalie Montakhab absolutely soared with O Holy Night, leaving jaws firmly on the floor.
With superstar volunteer Clemmie leading the way, our Kids on Track readers really were the true stars, some braving the stage for the very first time — reading beautifully and loving every second. Volunteers raised the roof with What Christmas Means to Me, complete with fabulous brass and wind.
Then came the surprise: a giant screen, the cast of The Sound of Music, and a church full of people swaying together to Edelweiss, you had to see it to believe it.
The vicar called it “quite the best” carol service of the season — and we raised over £6,000 to top it all off.
Now that’s something worth singing about. 🎄✨