Wokingham

The joy of Christmas filled the air at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre on the evening of December 10 when over 400 children, families, school teachers and local dignitaries joined each other for the annual Christmas carol concert hosted by Wokingham District Council chairman Cllr Angus Ross.

The concert was attended by children from over 20 schools in and around the Wokingham district, including Addington School who had not been able to attend in previous years. Other schools involved with the event were Arborfield, Newland and Barkham CE Junior, Bearwood Primary, Crazies Hill CE Primary, Grazeley Parochial Primary, Hawthorns Primary, Hillside Primary, Nine Mile Ride Primary, Palmer CE Junior, Polehampton CE Junior, Radstock Primary, Rivermead Primary, Robert Piggott Junior, Shinfield St.Mary’s CE Junior, St Dominic Savio RC Primary, St Sebastian’s CE Primary, St Teresa’s RC Primary, The White House, Waverley and Winnersh Primary.

The evening was filled with a selection of old and new favourites, from ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ to ‘White Christmas’ and each song was followed by rapturous applause from the audience. Instrumental music was provided by the 50 strong Berkshire Maestros Corelli Orchestra, with musical director James Baker of the Berkshire Musicians’ Trust as their conductor. They also performed modern pieces such as ‘Star Carol’.

Wokingham Cllr Angus Ross said: “It was a truly wonderful occasion and the high attendance showed that Christmas spirit is alive and well among us. It was especially inspiring that so many children made a huge effort rehearsing all the material so they could perform beautifully on the night.”

Over £3,800 was raised at the event from donations and the sale of programmes for Thames Valley and Chiltern Air Ambulance, the chairman’s chosen charity.

Cllr Angus Ross concluded: “Our annual Christmas carol concert is now one of the biggest annual civic occasions in the Wokingham district, so I would like to thank everyone who was involved, especially as so much was raised for such a worthy cause.”

Wokingham District Council