STARS FROM DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL: JIM CARREY, COLIN FIRTH AND BOB HOSKINS TO LIGHT UP LONDON’S BIGGEST EVER CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL ANNOUNCED AS THE CITY LOCATION CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL AS THEIR CHOIR LAUNCHES WORLD RECORD BREAKING CHRISTMAS CAROL SING-A-LONG

London, Tuesday, 13 October 2009:- Today, it was announced that St Paul’s Cathedral will join the West End’s Oxford Street and Regent Street on November 3 as the third location celebrating the launch of Disney’s A Christmas Carol creating the biggest most dazzling start to the festive season that London has ever seen.

The stars of Disney’s A Christmas Carol will illuminate London, getting the capital’s biggest ever festive season off to a glittering start ahead of the World Premiere in Leicester Square.
Bob Hoskins will get the festivities underway in the very heart of Dickens’ London, at
St Paul’s Cathedral, Colin Firth will push the button to light up Regent Street, and Jim Carrey will light up Oxford Street. Further announcements will follow about additional stars from music and theatre who will take part in the dazzling celebrations.

As part of the evening’s festivities, St Paul’s Cathedral Choir will perform, joining London in an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ever Christmas Carol sing-a-long. From tomorrow, people can vote at www.londonschristmascarol.com for their favourite Christmas Carol to be performed on the night. Once the votes are counted, and the crowds are gathered across London for the World Premiere and the Christmas lights celebration, the choir will join the capital in song as the record attempt begins.

The inclusion of St Paul’s Cathedral as the City of London location ensures that the capital’s festivities embrace the very heart of Dickens’ London. The City’s streets and alleyways are home to many of the buildings that Dickens would have known and which are referenced in his works, including A Christmas Carol, which, in 1843 helped re-define the Christmas period as the festive season of goodwill to all and re-popularised Christmas amongst the people.  In the weeks following the start of the dazzling Christmas celebrations, a large number of events have been programmed by the City’s venues to tie in with this traditional festive theme and with Dickens’ work.

The City event is sponsored by the City of London Corporation and the Cheapside Initiative, a partnership representing the vibrant Cheapside area.  Once one of London’s great shopping districts, it is set to rediscover its glory days of old when building developments including One New Change are completed later next year.

Bob Hoskins who plays Old Fezziweg and Old Joe in the film said: “It’s a fantastic privilege to be involved in such a huge London event, especially as I will be starting the celebrations at St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of Dickensian London. The film is a fantastic achievement using ground-breaking technology and perfect for the whole family this Christmas time.”

Stuart Fraser, Chairman of the City of London Corporation's Policy and Resources Committee said:  "St Paul's is an iconic building, synonymous with the City of London.  It is an obvious choice of location for this ground breaking event and is excellent news for the City.

“We will be able to help showcase to the world that London has a huge and varied amount to offer which spans the West End, the City and beyond.  How fitting that the City's historic past will provide a backdrop for an innovative event in our present which will continue to reverberate well into our future."

The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral said: “St Paul’s Cathedral is delighted to be bringing together people from all over London to celebrate the launch of Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’.

“When ‘A Christmas Carol’ was published in 1843, Dickens was contributing to the popular movement to make Christmas a more significant festival, but he was also drawing attention to the social injustice about which he was always concerned.  We are particularly pleased to be involved with this event because Dickens did so much to promote goodwill and compassion for others as a significant part of the celebration of Christmas.   We look forward to welcoming people to the Cathedral to join in the celebrations and to enjoy an evening of great musical performances.”

Tim Lineham of Hermes and Chairman of the Cheapside Initiative said:  “In Great Expectations, Pip described the market of Cheapside as "all asmear with filth and fat and blood". We’ve come a long way since then…
“Destined to become one of the City’s most prestigious shopping destinations, Cheapside will offer visitors a great variety of retail and leisure facilities 7-days a week. We are proud to support this event which will bring visitors from home and abroad to the area and which will show to the world the amazing transformation of this once-neglected City street.

“Ebenezer Scrooge – the central character of A Christmas Carol is forced by ghosts to look deep into his past, his present and future. We too have done that – working to preserve and enhance our historical attractions with buildings such as One New Change and the spectacular views of St Paul’s it will provide from its roof garden; managing the present with a coordinated approach to development; and looking to a future when Cheapside will rediscover its glory days as one of London’s great shopping streets.”
 
Sally Chatterjee, Visit London’s Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted that St Paul’s will play a key role in London’s festive celebrations this year. As one of the most iconic venues in London, it’s entirely appropriate that it will take centre stage in making London a compelling destination for visitors.”

Tickets are now on sale at www.londonschristmascarol.com for the public to take part in the world premiere which is in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. A donation will be made to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (Registered Charity no. 235825) as part of Disney’s partnership with the hospital, to help towards an ongoing Disney campaign to raise an invaluable £10 million towards their much-needed redevelopment appeal.

London’s Christmas Carol is a celebration of a traditional Christmas as London turns back the clock and brings to life the spirit of Christmas with events, promotions and activity across the capital.  Partners involved in this initiative are The Walt Disney Company UK, The Mayor’s Office, Westminster Council, the New West End Company, The Crown Estate, The City Of London, Visit London and many more.

For further information on Christmas in The City, visit www.visitthecity.co.uk/christmas

Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ will be released through Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK
in cinemas across the UK November 6, 2009
Certificate: PG |Running Time: 96mins

For further information regarding London’s Christmas Carol please contact DDA PR:
James Knox: 020 7932 9830 / Bee Jordan: 020 7932 9814
dacc@ddapr.com

For information regarding Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ please contact Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, UK:
Charlotte Tudor: 020 8222 2581 / Charlotte.Tudor@disney.com
Natacha Clarke: 020 8222 2580 / Natacha.Clarke@disney.com

Images are available to download from www.image.net

www.londonschristmascarol.com
 

NOTES TO EDITORS

DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL AND CHRISTMAS ACROSS LONDON
Dickens classic novel published in 1843 has become the essential Christmas tale, symbolizing and representing all the elements of the festive season with charity, compassion, celebration, families uniting and gift giving. Many people claim that Dickens helped re-popularise the notion of a traditional Christmas season which became very fashionable for the Victorians.

“In 'A Christmas Carol' Charles Dickens captured the very essence of traditional English Christmas while telling a hugely innovative, fanciful and above all socially responsible tale for the modern age. The story's characters, just like Dickens himself, have become part of our festive season and spread a powerful message of moral and social redemption throughout the world - today as much as it did in 1843 when it was written.” Dr Florian Schweizer, Strategic Director of the Charles Dickens Museum, London.

For more information on Charles Dickens and the Dickens Museum please contact: Dr Florian Schweizer: +44 (0)20 7405 2127 ext 214

DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL - THE FILM
Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’, a multi-sensory thrill ride re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future, The Polar Express, Beowulf), captures the fantastical essence of the classic Dickens tale in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event.  Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) begins the Christmas holiday with his usual miserly contempt, barking at his faithful clerk (Gary Oldman) and his cheery nephew (Colin Firth).  But when the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come take him on an eye-opening journey revealing truths Old Scrooge is reluctant to face, he must open his heart to undo years of ill will before it’s too late. 

Disney’s ‘A Christmas Carol’, based on the classic Dickens’ tale, is re-envisioned by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis in a groundbreaking 3-D motion picture event starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Bob Hoskins and Robin Wright Penn.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, interactive media and consumer products. Disney is a Dow 30 company with revenues of nearly $38 billion in its most recent fiscal year.

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
St Paul’s is the Cathedral church of the diocese of London, which it has served for over 1,400 years. The current building has become a potent symbol of the life of a nation and is also one of the world’s most beautiful buildings. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the late seventeenth century, its stones have absorbed the hopes, fears, sorrows and joys of generations and stand as an enduring symbol of our communion with those gone before and those still to come. Each year nearly two million people flock to the Cathedral for services, concerts, debates, educational events, performing arts and sightseeing. All are most welcome. For more information please see page 6.

THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION
The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse organisation. It supports and promotes the City as the world leader in international finance and business services and provides local services and policing for those working in, living in and visiting the Square Mile. It also provides valued services to London and the nation. These include the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama; the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and London Metropolitan Archives; a range of education provision (including three City Academies); five Thames bridges (including Tower Bridge and the Millennium Bridge); the Central Criminal Court at Old Bailey; over 10,000 acres of open spaces (including Hampstead Heath and Epping Forest), and three wholesale food markets. It is also London’s Port Health Authority and runs the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow. It works in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on the regeneration of surrounding areas and the City Bridge Trust, which it oversees, donates more than £15m to charity annually. Full details on www.cityoflondon.gov.uk

 
THE CHEAPSIDE INITIATIVE
A unique partnership that brings together the local business community to work as a collective in helping to shape and influence Cheapside to become a premier retail and leisure destination.
Our agenda for change in Cheapside is about to become a reality. Cheapside is becoming one of the City of London’s most prestigious shopping destinations, offering visitors a variety of contemporary retail and leisure facilities seven days a week.
The aim of the Cheapside Initiative is to manage a coordinated approach to development, generating a step change in visitor’s perceptions of Cheapside by creating a strong business and retail voice for the area. Long term benefits will be established for existing businesses, as well as attracting new ones into the area.
The Initiative will be attracting further inward investment by strengthening the retail offer of the area. Anchored by two major new retail developments at each end of the street – One New Change and Walbrook Square, the initiative will transform this historic marketplace within the Square Mile. Full details on www.incheapside.co.uk

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS
Guinness World Records is the universally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. First published in 1955, the annual Guinness World Records book is published in more than 100 countries and 25 languages and is the highest-selling books under copyright of all time with more than 3 million copies sold annually across the globe. Guinness World Records celebrated its 50th anniversary edition in 2004, a year after the sale of its 100 millionth copy. Guinness World Records also annually publishes the Gamer’s Edition; a records book devoted solely to the world of computer gaming and high score record achievements.

NEW WEST END COMPANY:
New West End Company is a company dedicated to driving forward London’s West End as the world’s top shopping destination. It is supported and run by major retailers and property owners in Bond Street, Oxford Street and Regent Street. 

New West End Company ensures the ongoing commercial success of the area by promoting the district, delivering street management services, funding public realm projects to improve the shopping environment.  It is a leading partner in the biggest regeneration programme of London’s West End in its history.  Find out more at www.newwestend.com.

200 million visitors travel into the West End each year spending over £5.5bn.  Of these visitors 25% are from overseas and a further 21% are from outside of London. 

London’s West End is the world’s top shopping destination, with a world-class mix of over 600 shops, 176 flagship stores, 120 international brand, 40 renowned theatres, 30 museums and galleries, 17 Michelin starred restaurants and 7 tranquil green spaces. 

For New West End Company and London’s West End contact Jace Tyrrell Phone: +44 7791 123 513 Email: jace.tyrrell@newwestend.com

REGENT STREET
The world class shopping destination of Regent Street was one of the first purpose built shopping streets in the world and today celebrates 180 years of shopping.  In 1954 Regent Street was the first European shopping street to have illuminated Christmas lights.

Regent Street has undergone a £750 million investment plan and has attracted many new flagship brands including; Europe’s first Banana Republic store, the world’s first National Geographic store, Toy Watch, Guess as well as Cos, Camper, Ferrari, Hoss Intropia and the finest toy shop in the world, Hamleys.  New fashion shops soon to open on Regent Street include Anthropologie (23 October); the first outside the US and Gant.  Aqua Hong Kong’s renowned restaurant will be opening a roof top venue in Regent Street at the end of October.

For further information and images on Regent Street and the Regent Street Christmas lights contact Sarah Millar or Rufus Stone at Sister on 020 7 287-9601or email sarah@sister-pr.com or rufus@sister-pr.com

OXFORD STREET
The UK’s favourite High street has over 300 retailers from designer outlets to department stores and is the most visited shopping street in Europe.

Since the first illumination of Oxford Street’s world famous Christmas Lights in 1959 the central London spectacle has become an integral part of the country’s preparation for the Christmas period. Every year on a chilly November evening 50,000 shoppers flood the length of Oxford Street, the ultimate UK shopping destination, to witness the spectacle of the glittering Christmas lights scheme adorning the retail haven.

With no greater pull than the pull of celebrity, the nation’s number one celebrities have climbed the platform to push the red button every year since the early 1980s. It became common knowledge in the world of celebrity that to be invited to switch on the Christmas lights in Oxford Street meant you were currently the people’s favourite.

Oxford Street Christmas Lights schemes are widely known to be the most superior designs in the country, ranging from the traditional schemes of the 1980s and early 1990s featuring real Christmas trees along the length of the street, to the more elaborate schemes seen today involving LED displays.

As 2009 anticipates Oxford Street’s biggest and most elaborate lights scheme in its 50 year history London’s ultimate Christmas spectacle is certain to dazzle the British public for years to come.

Oxford Street was named best shopping destination in the Visit London awards 2007 & 2008.

For further images and information on Oxford Street and the Oxford Street Christmas Lights contact Laura Ramos at New West End Company Phone: +44 207 462 0681 Email: laura.ramos@newwestend.com

THE REGENT STEET AND OXFORD STEET LIGHTS
The Oxford Street and Regent Street Christmas Lights use LED bulbs - the most energy efficient bulbs in the UK – using 75% less energy than traditional bulbs.
 
The bulbs use energy from renewable sources.

All carbon generated by the festivities will be offset through PURE – the first UK registered charity dedicated to climate change by carbon offsetting.

VISIT LONDON
Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. A leader in best practice destination marketing, Visit London promotes the UK capital internationally, across Britain and to Londoners targeting leisure and business visitors. Visit London works in partnership with the Mayor of London, the London Development Agency, London Councils and the tourism industry.

For broadcast-standard video of London, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visitlondon. If you are a first-time user, please take a moment to register. Visit London footage is free for all editorial purposes.

Media enquiries: Visit London Press Office – 020 7234 5710/ pressoffice@visitlondon.com

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL CHOIR
There has been a choir of boys and gentlemen at St Paul's Cathedral for over nine centuries. The earliest records date from 1127, when the Bishop of London, Richard de Belmeis, founded what was the first choir school and made provision for 'almonry' boys to serve the Cathedral.

The present Cathedral Choir consists of 30 choristers (boy trebles), eight probationers (who will become choristers) and 12 professional adult singers (or Vicars Choral): four altos, four tenors and four basses.

St Paul’s Cathedral Choir has established itself as one of the major forces in British church music today. The choristers rehearse every day for their busy workload; which may be a Sung Evensong or the chance to sing before HM The Queen at a special service. Situated at the east end of the cathedral, the school combines its musical heritage with a pursuit of academic excellence.

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL - A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604AD, a constant reminder to this great commercial centre of the importance of the spiritual side of life.

The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Its architectural and artistic importance reflect the determination of the five monarchs who oversaw its building that London’s leading church should be as beautiful and imposing as their private palaces.

As the Cathedral of the capital city, St Paul’s is the spiritual focus for the Nation. This is where people and events of overwhelming importance to the country have been celebrated, mourned and commemorated since the first Service took place in 1697. Since then important services have included the funerals of Lord Nelson, the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill; Jubilee celebrations for Queen Victoria, King George V; peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars; the launch of the Festival of Britain; the Service of Remembrance and Commemoration for the 11th September 2001: the 80th and 100th birthdays of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, to Lady Diana Spencer and the Thanksgiving for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen.

Throughout, St Paul’s has remained a busy, working church where millions have come to worship and find peace. It is a heritage site of international importance that attracts thousands of people each year, a symbol of the City and Nation it serves and, above all, a lasting monument to the glory of God.

ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL – FACTS AND FIGURES
• St Paul’s is the only Cathedral to have been designed, built and completed by a single architect. It took 35 years to build, from 1675–1710.
• The present St Paul’s is the fourth to occupy the site on Ludgate Hill; the first Cathedral dedicated to St Paul was built in 604 AD.
• St Paul’s actually has three domes: an inner dome, a brick cone that supports the lantern, and the outer dome ‘skin’. The inner dome is 225ft high with a diameter of 102 ft. The whole structure weighs 64,000 tonnes.
• The golden ball on the top of the dome is six feet in diameter, with room inside for ten people. The golden cross on top of the dome is 355.5ft from the ground.
• The crypt of St Paul’s is the largest in Western Europe, and unusually for a Cathedral, is the exact ‘footprint’ of the Cathedral floor.
• St Paul’s was the venue for some of the nation’s grandest funerals, including Admiral Lord Nelson (1806), Arthur, Duke of Wellington (1852) and Sir Winston Churchill (1965).
• The Crypt is the final resting place for many famous names including Nelson, Wellington, Joseph Turner and Sir Alexander Fleming.
• Sir Christopher Wren is also buried here, in a very plain grave. On the wall at the head of his tomb is a plain inscription, in Latin, arranged by his son. It translates as If you seek his monument, look around you. Wren himself had not wanted a memorial at all.
• John Donne, a Dean of St Paul's, was buried in the crypt in 1631. His is the only monument from 'old St Paul's' to survive the Great Fire of London. Scorch marks can still be seen on the urn on which his statue is standing.
• In 1964 human rights campaigner Martin Luther King preached at St Paul’s on his way to Oslo to collect the Nobel Peace Prize.