Snow falls at top York venue

The sound of Christmas carols filled a popular York venue as a community carol concert returned for its 66th year.

York’s Annual Community Carol Concert was held at the York Barbican on Sunday (December 15).This year the concert raised money for York Hospital Radio – proudly celebrating 60 years of broadcasting to patients, staff and visitors in York’s hospitals and also the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of York’s Christmas Cheer Fund.

A near capacity audience put their Christmas shopping on hold for the concert.

York RI Golden Rail Band conducted by Nick Eastwood kicked off the afternoon playing many Christmas favourites as the audience entered the auditorium, a soloist from Heworth Community Choir then opened the concert with the traditional Once in Royal David’s City.

Musical director Mike Pratt conducted the community carols, along with Heworth Community Choir led by Buffy Breakwell and Knavesmire Primary School Choir led by Clare Hardy  performing both old and new festive classics.

York’s Steve Cassidy performed a Christmas medley with the joint choirs along with the audience as snow fell onto the Barbican stage.

An event highlight was when over 80 children – of all ages – from the audience came on stage and sang Jingle Bells to be greeted with a fleeting visit from Father Christmas who presented each child with a small present to take home.

Joint hosts, Adam Tomlinson and Rev Andrew Foster co-ordinated the afternoon programme which included comedy, magic and the now legendary version of ‘While Shepherds Watched’ sung by everyone to the Yorkshire anthem of On Ilkla Moor Baht 'at.

The afternoon was interspersed with filmed festive wishes from various local personalities and also the BBC Look North team, Alan Dedicoat (Voice of the Lottery Balls and Strictly Come Dancing) and a surprise Christmas greeting from York’s very own Dame Judi Dench.

A spokesperson for the carol concert said it was a “wonderful afternoon” and thanked everyone for their support on the day.

“We are so grateful to all those who performed on stage but also to the audience who helped create a lovely festive atmosphere in the Barbican. A cracking start to Christmas.”

Funds raised from the event will be shared equally between the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of York’s Christmas Cheer Fund and York Hospital Radio.

The concert is to be broadcast over the Christmas period to listeners of York Hospital Radio and BBC Radio York.