Every weekend, Express presents a selection of exhibitions, performances, workshops, events and other historic, creative and delicious content to help islanders get their weekly dose of culture.
Here’s this week’s offering…
Christmas Concerts
There will be two concerts featuring festive music this month, including…
Kairos Arts Concert
Islanders are invited to a fundraising concert this Saturday to mark the beginning of the festive season and raise money for an art therapy charity.
An advent evening featuring words and music from local artists and performers is being held in aid of Kairos Arts charity on Saturday 2 December at 19:00 at the St Helier Methodist Centre. It will feature readings by actress Cathy Sara and songs by the Amity Singers Choir.
The organisers said: “Our Advent Concert is a lovely, gentle and uplifting start to the season and everyone is invited to join us for a very special hour of art, music, readings and fun!”
The charity facilitates therapeutic creative workshops for vulnerable people in Jersey, India and Bolivia.
Tickets are £15 and are available on the door.
Jersey Symphony Orchestra Concert
The community orchestra invites islanders to an evening of seasonal favourites at Les Quennevais School Concert Hall on Sunday 17 December at 20:00.
The Orchestra, led by Martin Smith, and under the baton of guest conductor, John Gibbons, will be joined by a guest soloist from the UK, Cristian Grajner de Sa.
The ‘Christmas Rhapsody’ evening will feature orchestral Christmas favourites including by Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker Suite, by Rimsky-Korsakov, Dance of the Tumblers from The Snow Maiden and by Humperdinck, Prelude to Hansel und Gretel.
Tickets are £28 and £10 for under-18s and are available via the JSO website HERE. Tickets are £28.00 and £10 for 18s or under
Jersey Heritage Festive Activities
Jersey Heritage has launched festive activities and events that islanders can attend during December, including:
Festive Food Trial
A Christmas-themed trail at Jersey Museum has launched today.
This involves participants searching for letters hidden around the ‘Bouan Appétit!’ exhibition documenting the island’s history of farming, fishing and food.
Those who complete the trail and unscramble the letters to make a seasonal word can claim a sweet treat at reception.
Crafty Christmas
Next Saturday, a Christmas-themed craft and discovery day will be held at the Jersey Museum.
Here, participants can make cards, decorations and gifts for the holidays.
There will also be a trail around the Victorian House to discover the meaning behind the ‘12 Days of Christmas’ and carol singing and a Christmas movie in the AV Theatre.
Old Fashioned Christmas
Hamptonne will host an event sponsored by Ogier that explores the history of seasonal traditions through storytelling over the weekend of December 16-17.
The historic farm buildings will be transported back in time, allowing islanders to experience a traditional Christmas.
Ice skating
Ice skaters can visit the ice rink at the Weighbridge, which will run until 18 February.
There will be up to 10 skate sessions per day Monday to Sunday, including special ‘themed’ sessions on Thursdays to Sundays.
Christmas markets
The Markets will be open 10:00 to 18:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10:00 to 17:00 on Sundays between 23 November and 10 December.
The Grand Hotel has also announced that it will be hosting its first-ever Christmas market in the Grand Suite on 6 December.
Shoppers can browse handmade crafts and Christmas gifts, including candles, diffusers, pottery, jewellery, and ceramics.
There will also be festive food and mulled wine made by the hotel’s chef Nic Valmagna, with funds going towards Grand Jersey’s charity of choice, Brighter Futures
Other non-festive activities and events across the island include…
Human Connections
ArtHouse Jersey has launched an interactive, multi-media and multi-site exhibition that explores how people connect.
Entitled ‘Skipton Big Ideas: Human Connections’, it is spread across three venues where visitors will encounter sculptures, film, installations, interactive technology, theatre, filmed portraits and a laboratory. More information can be found HERE.
Shared Light
It offers an insight into inmates’ daily lives – with images exploring themes of hope amid an overarching sense of confinement.
Fences, wires, and a muted colour palette are set against hopeful subjects, including a feminine sense of solidarity, flowers tended to by prisoners in the garden, and the “colourful” sky viewed by inmates who often gaze up into it.
Shared Light runs in the Arts Centre’s Berni Gallery until 6 December.
Small Faces Tribute Gig
This Saturday, a tribute band called The Small Fakers will perform songs by a 1960s mod band at The Drift, Royal Yacht, supported by local rock band Electric Head.
The Small Faces performed for the last time in Jersey in 1969, with their final concert at Springfield being reviewed by a Jersey Evening Post columnist and reviewer Tony Webster.
He said the concert was “extremely loud” and was disappointed that he couldn’t hear the words of the songs, which included the big hits Tin Soldier and All Or Nothing.
Pictured: Steve Marriott of the Small Faces being shown to the dressing room at Springfield in 1969 when the band was playing one of its last gigs before splitting up.
Matt Bond (aka Steve Marriott) from the tribute band said: “Back in the day, most bands only used to perform for 25 minutes or so at each gig, so we’ve had to improvise our setlist while keeping the vibe of various Small Faces setlists over the years. Kicking off with the early singles, a Small Fakers show takes you through the best tracks from each LP as they were released, finishing off with the highlights from Ogdens Nut Gone Flake.”
The event is being organised by promoters Bubblebrain Records who will provide a backdrop of Motown, Ska and Northern Soul.
Doors open at 20:00 and tickets will be available on the door and online HERE.
