Arty angels and celestial Christmas curiosities

Have you noticed that we’re surrounded by angels at this time of year? Excuse the rather blurred photograph on the right, but this is the sort of thing you may have seen in shop windows lately…










Much as I adore ecclesiastical carvings and sculptures of angels, it’s sad that a fair few of those sold at antiques fairs and auctions have been purloined from churches over the years. However, it’s great to see that contemporary craftspeople and home accessory designers are once again turning to angels for inspiration - as featured in ShopCurious’ latest trends post.





Anyway, I’m looking forward to hearing choirs of angels singing at the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, on Christmas Eve.

Incidentally, after that, at 8.20 pm, during the interval of Handel’s Messiah on BBC Radio 3, there’s a programme called Angelology. For twenty minutes, The Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James's, Piccadilly, will explain that angels aren’t always as sweet or cherubic as they are often seen to be…








I suppose that probably goes for some of the choristers at King’s College too?

Do you?