On Wednesday 10th December 2025 at 7pm, Truro Cathedral will be filled with the sound of over 70 voices from Port Isaac, bringing the village’s rich carolling traditions to the heart of Cornwall.
The service will feature five singing groups, including children from Port Isaac Academy, performing festive favourites such as the Sans Day Carol and While Shepherds Watched, alongside Cornish classics like Love Came Down at Christmas and Hark The Glad Sound. A highlight of the evening will be the first public performance of a new arrangement of Thomas Merritt’s carol Awake With Joy, written especially for the occasion.
Led by Janet Townsend MBE, whose vision revived Port Isaac’s choral tradition in the 1990s, the event will celebrate the village’s thriving musical heritage. The programme also includes an atmospheric lantern parade, a Cornish piper, and stories of Port Isaac past and present.
The service is part of a series of Cornish carol celebrations organised by the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies in partnership with Truro Cathedral, spotlighting community traditions across Cornwall. Entry is free, with a retiring collection in aid of the RNLI & Federation. The RNLI will also be present with a new Christmas card created by Port Isaac Academy children and artist Caroline Cleave.
The service will be livestreamed on the Federation’s YouTube channel, ensuring everyone can share in the spirit of Cornish Christmas.