Armidale lands first Christmas Carol reading outside Canada

A Christmas tradition born by a fireside in snowy Ontario is about to make its debut outside Canada, and Armidale has the honour of hosting it.

“Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol: A dramatic reading with music” will be performed at the Armidale Uniting Church on Sunday, 29 November, with favourite Christmas carols woven through the classic story.

The idea began on a winter’s night in Ontario, when Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) radio presenter Judy Maddren read the Dickens tale to her four young children by a roaring fire.

The children were hooked, and so was her husband Tim, who kept popping in from the kitchen, where he was washing dishes, to catch the latest instalment.

Maddren knew she was onto something special when she organised a public reading in Toronto. It drew 350 people and raised thousands of dollars for a local women’s shelter.

Within a few years, performances had spread to more than 100 cities, towns, villages, and hamlets across Canada.

Now the tradition is heading to New England, thanks to Ms Maddren’s friend and former colleague Bruce Woolley, who lives in Armidale.

Woolley proposed producing the reading in Armidale, with music performed by the Armidale Choral Society. Maddren was delighted and provided scripts, directorial advice, and promotional material.

The afternoon will raise money for a local group working to keep clothes out of landfill.

“This performance will support the work of Thread Shed Armidale which teaches local people how to make, mend, and upcycle their own clothes and other materials to prevent them adding to landfill,” said Woolley.

But Woolley said the event will be much more than a fundraiser. He said it is a special afternoon out, a new tradition to enjoy with family and friends, and a great gift for people who have everything they need.

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