Going The Rounds 2025 - Church Performance

Thursday 11th December 2025
Starts 18:30 until 20:30
St Michael's Church, 3 Church Lane, Stinsford, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 8PT

The 2025 Going The Rounds will consist of two performances on two consecutive weekday evenings - Thursday, 11th December and Friday, 12th December.

Thursday's performance will take place soley in St Michael's Church for those who do not wish to walk.
Friday's performance will include a walk around the Parish.

Both events will contain the full content of the performance.

"One Christmas--years agone now, years--I went the rounds wi' the Weatherbury quire. 'Twas a hard frosty night, and the keys of all the clar'nets froze"

Join the Thomas Hardy Society with The New Hardy Players and Alastair Braidwood leading local musicians and singers to recreate the first few chapters of Thomas Hardy’s ‘Under the Greenwood Tree’, Going the Rounds with the Mellstock Quire. Hear Hardy’s words spoken by authentic Dorset voices, and the Christmas carols of former years, rarely heard anymore, sung in the settings the novelist knew from his childhood.’

“Now mind, neighbours,” he said, as they all went out one by one at the door, he himself holding it ajar and regarding them with a critical face as they passed, like a shepherd counting out his sheep. “You two counter-boys, keep your ears open to Michael’s fingering, and don’t ye go straying into the treble part along o’ Dick and his set, as ye did last year; and mind this especially when we be in ‘Arise, and hail.’ Billy Chimlen, don’t you sing quite so raving mad as you fain would; and, all o’ ye, whatever ye do, keep from making a great scuffle on the ground when we go in at people’s gates; but go quietly, so as to strike up all of a sudden, like spirits.”

*Ticket price to include Mulled Wine & Mince Pie

This performance is church-based only (no walking)