|PIC1|Hundreds of old and young gathered in a packed out Royal Albert Hall Monday night to celebrate the festive season in true Christmassy style with a special carol service, ‘Celebrating Christmas with The Salvation Army’.

Penelope Keith, OBE, DL, one of Britain’s best-loved actresses, and Pam Rhodes, presenter of the BBC’s long-running Songs of Praise, were among the guest speakers at last night's event, presented by the face of the BBC’s Six O’ Clock News, George Alagiah.

The event was a graceful combination of traditional Christmas carols and stylish renditions of modern Christmas songs as sung by the The Salvation Army’s International Songsters, International Staff Band and Children’s Choir.

|PIC2|The moving performances by the International Staff Songsters provided the perfect time for reflection on what has been a difficult year for many around the world, George Alagiah recounting last Boxing Day’s tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, the London terrorist bombings and the recent Pakistan earthquake in his presentation speech.

With all the tragedies of the last 12 months, “Christmas is a sort of comfort in our lives,” said Mr Alagiah.

General John Larsson, who spoke on the great day when the Light came into the world, added: “We’ve had such a year, but the light of the Lord in your heart no one can put out.”

The carol service, broadcast on BBC Radio to listeners across the country, was also a time for The Salvation Army to say a big thank you to all its supporters for their work throughout the year, many of whom worked directly with the survivors of the past year’s tragic events.

The Salvation Army extended its thanks to both the financial support but also the prayerful support of its members and fellow Christians alike from all across the world.