Get into the Christmas spirit with Ards and North Down Borough Council’s festive Arts and Heritage Programme!

On Thursday 1 December, The Ulster Consort presents A Ceremony of Carols at Bangor Castle. A Ceremony of Carols is an extended choral composition for Christmas by Benjamin Britten, scored for three-part treble chorus, solo voices, and harp. The text is structured in eleven atmospheric movements and was composed in 1942 on Britten's sea voyage from the United States to England.

The Ulster Consort, which made its debut with a stellar, critically acclaimed performance of Handel’s Messiah in December 2019, is Northern Ireland’s newest professional music ensemble and one of the very few professional vocal ensembles in the province. Founded by the internationally renowned and now Belfast-based conductor, Matthew Owens, the large core of the Consort’s membership consists of Northern Irish singers, and singers based in Northern Ireland.

This stunning event is sure to be the perfect start to this festive season! Tickets cost £15.

Santa’s Sooty Christmas by Centre Stage Theatre will offer plenty of family fun at Queen’s Hall, Newtownards on Saturday 10 December at 2pm and 6pm, then at the Portico of Ards in Portaferry on Sunday 3 December at 3pm. This jolly Christmas Pantomime presented by Centre Stage Theatre Company tells the tale of Rudi the cheerful chimney sweep who is cleaning all the chimneys – to make sure they are ready for Santa – but Rudi gets a very nasty shock! One very big chimney is well and truly blocked… and not with soot!

Watch out for the wicked witch Fluella and her side kick Freddie the Fearsome Frog as Rudi the chimney sweep tries to unblock the chimney before Christmas with the help of the beautiful Christmas Tree Fairy, a Toy Tin Soldier and a Cross Christmas Candle.

Centre Stage Theatre Company are one of Northern Ireland's premier touring companies and bring you this hilarious Christmas Tale, with catchy songs and simple effects! Tickets cost £6.

For those wishing to roll their sleeves up and get creative, North Down Museum is hosting a Christmas Wreath Making Workshop on Saturday 3 December at 2pm. Participants can create their own Christmas door wreath from local sustainable materials grown on the Ards Peninsula. The workshop will be facilitated by Clive Lyttle from Welig Heritage Crafts. All tools and materials will be supplied. The cost is £40 per person.

Speaking about the events, Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Arts and Heritage Manager, Emily Crawford said:

‘We have lots of activity this December to help get you into the festive spirit from an enchanting evening with the Ulster Consort at Bangor Castle to family fun in Newtownards and Portaferry with Santa’s Sooty Christmas. We look forward to welcoming you for music, theatre and hands-on Christmas workshops.’

Tickets for all events are available to book online - CLICK HERE