Cyngerdd Carolau · the village carol service.
Saturday 19 December 2026, 19.30–21.00, at Capel Bethel, Deiniolen. Held in aid of Llaw i’r Aelwyd, with Côr Meibion Dyffryn Peris and the children of Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi.
About the evening.
The trust’s annual carol service is the one fixed point in our calendar; it has been held in Capel Bethel every December since 1983, with two exceptions (the 2009 service, cancelled by snow, and the 2020 service, held on Zoom, which we will not repeat). The order of service is short — six carols, three readings, the children’s tableau, and a few words from one of the trustees. The collection at the door is given in full to Llaw i’r Aelwyd to fund hardship grants through the January cold-snap.
The choir and the children.
Côr Meibion Dyffryn Peris, founded 1969, will sing four of the six carols, including the long-standing village arrangement of Suo-gân. The children of Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi will present the nativity tableau, in Welsh, with the youngest reception class as the angels and Year 6 as the kings, as is the village custom. The reception class take a great deal of stewarding; please be patient with them and with the teachers.
What to bring.
- A warm coat — Capel Bethel is heated, but only just, and the evening will be cold.
- Coins for the collection at the door — there will be a card-reader at the back of the chapel for those who prefer to give that way.
- A hymn-book if you have one at home — there will be photocopies available on the chair, but the chapel’s own books are running low.
- Walking shoes — the slate steps from the village street to the chapel door can be slippery in December.
Getting there and accessibility.
Capel Bethel is a five-minute walk from the centre of Deiniolen, signposted from the Memorial Hall. There is no dedicated car park; on-street parking is available on Deiniol Road and along Stryd y Llan but is limited on a Saturday evening. The chapel is on the level once you are inside, but the entrance is up four slate steps without a handrail. We can arrange for a portable ramp if you let us know in advance by writing to [email protected]. The hearing-loop in the chapel is working as of November 2025; switch your hearing aid to T. Toilets, including an accessible toilet, are at the back of the chapel.
Reserve a place.
You do not need a ticket, but it helps us with the seating, the printing, and the refreshments afterwards if we know you are coming. Fill in the short form below and we will keep your name on the door list.
Three images from the chapel.
The carol service is, in atmosphere, a much older event than the trust itself; the chapel has held one every December since 1869, and the trust began co-organising it (and taking the collection at the door) in 1983.
The order of service.
The order of service is the same each year, with two carols rotating from a small approved list. The 2026 order, agreed at the November AGM:
- Suo-gân (Welsh traditional, sung by the choir).
- Reading I — Luke 2, vv. 1–7 (in Welsh).
- O Deuwch Ffyddloniaid (congregation).
- Reading II — Y Bugeiliaid (the nativity tableau, by the reception class of Ysgol Gwaun Gynfi).
- Tawel Nos (choir).
- Reading III — Mathew 2, vv. 1–11 (in English, by Year 6).
- Hark the Herald (congregation).
- A few words from a trustee.
- Closing carol — Ar Hyd y Nos (choir and congregation).
- Collection at the door, in aid of Llaw i’r Aelwyd.
Where the collection goes.
Every pound collected at the chapel door is added straight to the Llaw i’r Aelwyd budget for the January cold-snap. The 2024 service raised £312; the 2023 service £286; the 2022 service £241; the 2021 service £198 (a smaller congregation that year). We list these because villagers sometimes ask whether the trustees take a percentage — we do not, and we never have.