With one week to go before the jolly man in the red suit makes an appearance, there are quite a few festive events Sunday in the Principality to get into the holiday spirit.
The Children’s Nativity Play, a traditional Christmas pageant with children acting out the birth of Jesus, takes place during the 10:30 am family service at St Paul’s Anglican Church on ave Grande-Bretagne.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36QiuRc_3I8
At 11 am, the classic “Singing in the Rain”, starring (for those in the back of the class) Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, has been organised by Monaco Audiovisual Archives, in association with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, at Grimaldi Forum’s Salle Camille. Free entrance with reservation at the ticket office (+377 99 99 30 00) or from the Casino Atrium.
A Christmas concert by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra takes place at 4 pm at Eglise Saint-Charles (4 ave Saint Charles). Conducted by Andrei Feher and featuring Sara Gouzy (soprano), Isabelle Druet (mezzo-soprano), Julia Brian (contralto), François Rougier and Thomas Dolié (tenors) and the Camerata Apollonia Choir, also on the programme is Camille Saint-Saëns.
What the Evening Standard referred to as “former figure skaters who have thrown out the sequins and smiles to create a new ice dance for the 21st century”, Le Patin Libre, the Contemporary Skating Company, organised by the Monaco Dance Forum, have a performance of “Confidences” at 5:30 at the skating rink (Stade Nautique Rainier III). Show time: 5:30 pm, free entrance without reservation, on a first come, first serve basis.
A busy day at St Paul’s. After the morning nativity play, the traditional Christmas carols and worship service, a celebration of Christmas readings and carols, starts at 7:30 pm.
To end the day, for football fans (and those looking for any opportunity to wear Christmas red), at 9 pm, AS Monaco – the highest-scoring team in Europe’s top leagues with 53 goals in 17 Ligue 1 matches – take on Lyon in the French Premier League Football Championship at home.
AS Monaco will face Manchester February 21, 2017, at Etihad Stadium.