Charity Christmas carol concerts with celebrity sparkle
Melanie May | 1 December 2023 | News
It’s the 1st of December, the Advent calendars are go, and we’re feeling festive so here’s a round up of some of the upcoming charity carol concerts that have added celebrity sparkle.
Carers Trust
Angela Rippon and Greg Wise will join the Carers Trust’s 50th anniversary Christmas Carol Concert in London on 13 December at St Paul’s Knightsbridge.
Carers Trust Ambassador Angela Rippon will perform a reading at the concert. Also giving a reading is film, TV and stage star Greg Wise. He has been a dedicated supporter of Carers Trust, becoming an Ambassador this year. The City of London Choir will also appear, performing a selection of Christmas carols, conducted by the Hilary Davan Wetton. They will be joined by Irish classical soprano Margaret Keys, who has performed across the globe in musicals ranging from The Phantom of the Opera to Les Miserables, My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins.
Advertisement
Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled people
The Queen Elizabeth Foundation for Disabled people (QEF) is inviting people to join stars of the stage and screen for its carol service. The event takes place on 11 December at St Marylebone Parish Church in London.
Guests will enjoy traditional carols and festive readings from actors Sheila Hancock, Greg Wise, Victoria Hamilton, Simon Callow and historian, broadcaster and film-maker, Jonathan Dimbleby, followed by mince pies and mulled wine. All funds raised from the evening will go towards QEF’s work supporting disabled people of all ages and those with acquired neurological disabilities.
Nordoff and Robbins
The Nordoff and Robbins Carol Service returns for 2023, headlined by the Kaiser Chiefs. The event will be hosted by the Queen of British Soul, Beverley Knight, alongside UK Jazz chart topping singer-pianist Joe Stilgoe. BAFTA award winning broadcasters and vocal coaches Carrie and David Grant will also share the importance of Nordoff and Robbins’ work during the service. It takes place on 12 December at St Luke’s Church in London. There will be traditional carols, celebrity readings and musical performances.
The Prince’s Trust
The Prince’s Trust is holding an evening of music and festive readings from celebrity guests in the surroundings of St Paul’s Cathedral on 12 December. The carol concert is in partnership with Cunard.
The event features Christmas readings from actors and long-standing ambassadors of The Trust, Dame Joanna Lumley and Richard E Grant. The audience will also hear the voices of the St Paul’s Cathedral Choir and stories from young people who have been supported by The Prince’s Trust.
Maggie’s
The Maggie’s Christmas carol concert is on 7 December at St Paul’s Cathedral, St Paul’s Cathedral in London on Thursday, December 7, with the audience hearing seasonal readings from celebrity guests including Joanna Lumley and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth, actor Charles Dance, author and former Scottish Poet Laureate Jackie Kay, actor Sir Simon Russell Beale CBE and chef and Great British Bake Off judge, Prue Leith.
There will also be music from world-renowned performers, and following the concert, performers and dinner guests will be invited to move to the Crypt for a reception and gala dinner.
Macmillan
Macmillan is holding Follow the Stars – Macmillan Carols on 8 December at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford. Celebrities attending the charity’s 27th service include Greg Wise, Jason Isaacs, Mel Giedroyc, and Toby Jones. There will be favourite carols, seasonal choral music, literary readings including a special carol specially composed by John Rutter, the nation’s favourite choral composer.
Royal Osteoporosis Society & JDRF
This December, the ROS is partnering with diabetes charity JDRF the type 1 diabetes charity, to host a Carol Concert to raise funds for both charities. Attendees will hear an hour of festive readings narrated by well-known faces including Derrick Evans, Nick Knowles, Dr Amir Khan, Susan Hampshire. And Theresa May. There will be carols supported by the choir and special musical performances.
The event takes place at St Paul’s Cathedral on 19 December.
Smile Train UK
Smile Train UK’s annual Big Smile Carol Concert takes place on 5 December this year, at The Grosvenor Chapel in Mayfair, London at 7pm – the same chapel seen in the Christmas film, Love Actually. New UK ambassador for the charity Heather Small will be giving a special performance.
Alongside this, the concert will feature festive performances from the Choir of Grosvenor Chapel for guests to sing along to, and seasonal messages from the Smile Train UK team, including Smile Train UK Director, Ian Vallance. It will be an evening of carol singing, mulled wine and mince pies. The concert is free to attend with donations welcome and going to support Smile Train’s work.
And one that’s a bit different…
The Not So Silent Choir – an ensemble of festive Christmas carollers who are so bad at singing, they apparently cannot be ignored.
The off-key carolling squad, led by soap star Shaun Williamson, and supported by rapper and talent show favourite Honey G made its debut on 24 November via a tongue-in-cheek mockumentary style film which sees passers-by covering their ears and turning away in dismay as they endure the ensemble’s chaotic cacophony.
The choir is raising money for The Trussell Trust this Christmas. Brought together by Deliveroo, the comedy choir is asking people donate to the Trussell Trust via the in-app round up feature, and then they’ll leave you in peace.
Deliveroo is also matching the donations raised by customers for a week up to a total value of £20,000 with all funds providing support to the food banks in the Trussell Trust network this winter.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.