Lights of Christmas at St Mary's Cathedral

Lights of Christmas at St Mary's Cathedral

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Posted 2015-11-27 by Irenke Forsythfollow

Thu 10 Dec 2015 - Fri 25 Dec 2015



Presented by PAYCE, a dynamic Australian property and investment company, the spectacular Gothic-style St Mary's Cathedral is once again being lit up with lights and 3D projections on the 75 metre facade for the Christmas period.

In the heart of the city this sandstone statement of grace is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, host of this event, and is the seat of the Archbishop of Sydney. Expect a number of religious symbols and images as part of the projections as well as the green and red of Christmas.



This year the Lights of Christmas story is told in 3 parts – Light is Life, The Holly and the Ivy, and The Madonna and Child. 2015 is the United Nations International Year of Light and we are offered a chance to ponder on what this means and how powerful a shining light can be, from giving help to someone in need to the sparkle of joy watching Christmas lights. The Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria will provide free candles to visitors to aid in the celebrations. Gold donations are welcome and money raised goes to support families that have suffered loss.

The vital role of light is reflected in the powering of communities and the medical world. Diagnosis of ailments and treatment through advances in laser light technology helps us to move forward to promising new worlds. Without light, we would not survive.

The evergreen holly adds to the story and is a symbol of Christmas that we add as decoration to Christmas cakes, Christmas trees and our Christmas-laid tables. The Holly and the Ivy is a traditional British Christmas carol, somewhat forgotten, steeped in religious meaning and the rising of the sun. The holly bears the crown, the blossom and the berry as "Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ". It lends itself to reaching the imagination of children and is a festive way to celebrate peace, joy and goodwill.



The Madonna and Child are symbolic Christian icons and guiding lights to mankind. Many statues and paintings around the globe portray the Virgin Mary and child Jesus, and the projections on one of Sydney's oldest churches with its twin spires, will showcase the miracle.

Choir performances in Cathedral Square will begin from 7.30pm with traditional carols, prior to the light and sound show coming on at 8.30pm. Headline performers on the opening night concert include Paulini singing tunes from her new holiday album, 'Merry Christmas', and The Voice contestant Naomi Price taking to the stage for a couple of songs. The latter powerhouse singer will do a one-off performance of The Holly and the Ivy together with composer George Ellis and his orchestra. A recorded version will feature during the light projections throughout the duration of this 16 night event with the lyrics reflected in the images.

Christmas cards of PAYCE's lights on the cathedral will be available for sale at the cathedral with proceeds going to charities, Matthew Talbot Hostel and the Brown Nurses.
Images courtesy of www.lightsofchristmas.com.au & Madison Woodward at avviso.com.au

#child_friendly
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#free
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#things_to_see
#december
!date 10/12/2015 -- 25/12/2015
%wnsydney
196778 - 2023-06-16 04:21:52

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