Northampton All Saints' Church: Covid-safe Christmas will be 'smaller and simpler'

Festive church services are taking place over Christmas but with social distancing and no congregational singing, what kind of celebrations can be expected?

As a busy Anglican church in Northampton town centre, All Saints' usually prides itself on its "everyone welcome" policy.

But in a coronavirus world, as with so many things, this has changed.

Sporting a festive white beard and obligatory face mask, Michael Waterfield - normally a chorister and congregation member - is All Saints' unofficial receptionist.

His desk was covered in the accoutrements associated with 2020 - an NHS Test and Trace QR code, a log book, a box for used pens and hand sanitiser.

Many All Saints' parishioners feared the closest they would get to a Christmas church service was the live video link which has played such a prominent role this year.

The news that places of worship will be able to perform services in all Covid-19 tiers, including at Christmas, was welcomed gratefully.

"It was very important," says Father Oliver Coss, church rector.

"The decision in the spring, and certainly around Easter, to shut down places of worship was really very harmful.

"It set up an order of precedence - things that matter and things that don't; things that are essential and things that aren't."

However, there will still be some restrictions.

All Saints' normally has 800-900 people attend on Christmas Day or for Midnight Mass. Numbers this year will be kept to 100 and worshippers have to pre-book their places.

Indoor singing will be limited to formal performers.

"It's going to be a little smaller, a little simpler," says Father Oliver.

"It's going to have lots of little measures that remind us about the things that are special about Christmas, but keep people safe."

The church's programme included a carol service on Sunday, followed by the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass and two Christmas Day services.

"It's such a hopeful thing and such a contrast from Easter where everything felt very complicated and difficult," says Father Oliver.

Church wardens Alison Mills and Richard Lambert said it was awful when All Saints' was closed.

"It's been massive that people have been able to come in and say prayers," Ms Mills says. "They sit quietly, perhaps we light a candle for them.

"The one thing that isn't going to change is we will be telling the Christmas story through music and words as has been done for hundreds and hundreds of years.

"It's even more important this year. A message of hope and faith."

Mr Lambert says a key role of the church, particularly at Christmas, is to "draw everyone together".

However, he acknowledges that "togetherness and the virus don't work".

"It is very important to stick to safety measures," he says.

Part of Mr Lambert's role includes using "a fogger device" in between back-to-back services to make sure everything is fully cleaned.

The church says it is observing social distancing rules, making sure people stay in their bubbles and wash their hands, and engaging with track and trace protocols.

Father Oliver says they had adopted cleaning regimes more akin to hospital wards.

"We absolutely don't want to become synonymous with super-spreader events, but this isn't the Rose Garden [US President Donald Trump's social gathering]," he says.

"Our safety procedures are set up on the presumption there could be someone among us who is unwittingly positive.

"It's about giving people the freedom to make up their mind as to whether it is the right time to come out or whether they need to stay behind the front door of their home."

The church may be open but it will not be abandoning the live-streaming that has allowed people to remain part of its community.

"Churches that would have frowned at the idea of broadcasting their worship are realising this is possibly here to stay," Father Oliver says.

This year, the church's choir, usually ably assisted by the voices of its congregation, will perform alone.

"The restrictions on congregational singing are a great sadness," director of music Jem Lowther says.

"There's never a time when congregations are more enthusiastic than Christmas. The choir needs to step in and in some way fill that role."

But there will be a one chance for everyone to sing. All Saints' Midnight Mass service will finish with Christmas carols outside the church.

"It'll be very unique," Jem says.

"Outdoor singing is allowed so we are going to take advantage, gather round the Christmas tree and sing O, Come All Ye Faithful.

"It is easy to focus on the negatives, but speaking to church music colleagues in America and elsewhere - where they are allowed to do nothing - I am grateful we are able to salvage something."

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