Ross-on-Wye will be marking King Charles III’s Coronation with a series of events before, during and after the bank holiday weekend of 6 May 2023, with plenty of community activities and concerts to enjoy organised by Ross-on-Wye Town Council and St Mary’s Church.
Coronation Art Exhibition
Celebrations will launch on Friday 28 April with a Schools’ Art Exhibition at St Mary’s Church which will run until Wednesday 17 May, where eight local primary schools will display artwork inspired by the Coronation. The church will be open daily from 9am to 5pm.
Live Music Concerts
There will be two concerts over the weekend preceding the Coronation at St Mary’s Church starting on Saturday 29 April at 7.30pm with the Musical and Amicable Society’s ‘A Celebration for the King’ which will feature performances of well-known classics including Handel’s Arrival of The Queen of Sheba, Mozart’s Coronation Mass and Handel’s Four Coronation Anthems. Tickets cost £15 per person or £5 for students/under 18yrs and are available from River Music, 26 Broad Street, Ross-on-Wye HR9 7ED, by telephone on 01989 563328 or online via Eventbrite.
The following evening on Sunday 30 April at 7.30pm there will be a stunning Candlelit Piano Recital with pianist Ross Macmillan who will perform a beautiful repertoire of composer Ludovico Einaudi’s greatest hits, including Le Onde, I’Giorni and Una Mattina. Tickets can be bought online at https://bit.ly/3MUh6yt and will include a complimentary glass of wine and freshly baked baguettes supplied by local baker Pristine Wheat..
Coronation Day – Saturday 6 May
On Saturday 6 May, The Coronation of His Majesty The King, where King Charles III will be crowned alongside The Queen Consort, will take place at 11am at Westminster Abbey and will be live streamed from St Mary’s Church Hall on the big screen (doors open 10.30am). At the same time, there will also be a Coffee Morning in the church where the Coronation will be shown on the TV.
The Ross-on-Wye Town Council Coronation Market on Saturday 6 Market from 10am to 3pm will welcome traders selling local produce, food, drink, flowers, plants, cakes and bakes with seating and music from local buskers. The Paddle Café will be selling wine, beer and soft drinks and music duo Annteek will play at midday after an address by the town crier.
In the evening, the Mayor of Ross-on-Wye Town Council’s Coronation Ball will take place at the Ross Rowing Club. Tickets are £40 and include a glass of fizz on arrival, a fork buffet and live music from The Forfeits. For details of both events and tickets, contact admin@rosstc-herefordshire.gov.uk or call Ross-on-Wye Town Council on 01989 562373. Also taking place over the bank holiday weekend will be a series of community street parties in and around the town, funded by grants from Ross-on-Wye Town Council.
Coronation Church Service & Concert
On Sunday 7 May, St Mary’s Church will be holding a special King’s Coronation Church Service at 11am followed by a fizzy toast to the King’s health and a giant family friendly picnic in the churchyard grounds (inside if wet). All are welcome to bring picnics, drinks and blankets to enjoy a relaxing (hopefully sunny) Sunday afternoon.
That evening, the official Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle will be live streamed at 8pm at St Mary’s Church where everyone is welcome to join (free entry, doors open 7.30pm, BYO drinks and snacks). The concert will feature performances from Sir Bryn Terfel, Andrea Bocelli, Lionel Richie, Take That and Katy Perry amongst other music icons, to celebrate this historic occasion.
The Big Help Out – Ross Churchyard Angels
Rounding the weekend off on Monday 8 May will be The Big Help Out, where volunteers are invited to join in with a churchyard clean up at St Mary’s Church (volunteers can bring their own tools). To mark His Majesty The King’s Coronation thousands of organisations across the country are getting together to help out in their own local communities. Details of The Big Help Out can be found online at thebighelpout.org.uk or for the Ross event, contact St Mary’s Church by emailing rachel@rossparishes.uk.
Enquiries:
St Mary’s Church events: Rachel Lewis or Paul Cummings, St Mary’s Church, Church Street, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5HN / Email rachel@rossparishes.uk or pbgcummings@gmail.com / Telephone 01989 562175
Ross-on-Wye Town Council events (Market & Mayor’s Ball): Jane Mainey, Tourism & Marketing Manager or Charlotte Reynolds, Community Development Officer Ross-on-Wye Town Council, 7 High Street, Ross-on-Wye HR9 5HL / Email tourism@rosstc-herefordshire.gov.uk or admin@rosstc-herefordshire.gov.uk/ Telephone 01989 562373.
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