FESTIVE families are being invited by the RSC to celebrate Twelfth Night in Stratford.
Choirs from across the midlands will sing traditional wassailing songs and carols followed by a winter procession and special ceilidh on Saturday January 6.
Coinciding with the RSC’s current production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the wassail will take place at 2pm from various locations across the town including the Swan Gardens, Bancroft Terrace and Shakespeare’s New Place, before everyone meets to sing together at Shakespeare’s New Place at 4pm.
Roughly translated as ‘be in good health’, wassailing is an English tradition taking place on the Twelfth Night of Christmas, which involves singing to the health of apple trees in the hope that they might yield a good harvest.
The free event will include four specially commissioned arrangements from ex-Bellowhead member and choral arranger Paul Sartin and is followed by a special procession to The Other Place, the company’s studio theatre down the road from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
The procession is followed by a festive ceilidh, similar to a barn dance where a caller explains the moves, at The Other Place with music provided by English folk band Faustus. Hot dogs, mulled cider and non-alcoholic festive punch will also be on offer as part of the ticket price which is £12 or four tickets for £40. The event runs from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.
Families can also enjoy a range of Twelfth Night craft activities throughout the day from 11am to 4pm where they can create decorations which will be placed on the RSC’s apple tree installation at The Other Place.
Visit www.rsc.org.uk/wassail for further details.
