Over 400 schoolchildren will be raising the roof at Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, Lower Earley at the annual Wokingham Borough primary schools’ carol concert this Sunday (December 11).
Wokingham Borough Council’s Mayor Cllr Dianne King will host the evening and all proceeds from the sale of programmes will go to her chosen charity, which this year is Give a Child a Chance. The charity helps raise money for disadvantaged children living in Berkshire to help them live more rewarding lives. These include those with physical/learning difficulties, psychological / behavioural issues, those in care and those living in areas of deprivation.
Some 21 local schools will form the choir and have spent many hours over the past few weeks rehearsing for the annual event. The schools involved are: All Saints CE Primary, Crazies Hill CE controlled Primary, Finchampstead CE Aided Primary, Grazeley Parochial Primary, Hawthorns Primary, Hillside Primary, Holme Grange, Keep Hatch, Lambs Lane Primary, Nine Mile Ride, Polehampton CE Junior, Radstock Primary, Rivermead Primary, Shinfield St Mary's CE Junior, St Dominic Savio RC Aided Primary, St Paul’s CE Junior, St Sebastians CE Aided Primary, St Teresa’s RC Primary, Whiteknights Primary, Winnersh Primary and Woodley CE Controlled Primary.
Berkshire Maestros Corelli Orchestra will provide the music for the concert and the children will sing a variety of songs including No Room at the Inn, Away in a Manger and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town – to name just a few. Musical director James Baker will conduct the choir and the 50-strong orchestra, who will also perform instrumental songs including Christmas Festival and Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson.
More than 1,000 people are expected in the audience, made up of parents and teachers. They too will have a part to play in bringing festive cheer to the centre when they join in the singing of Christmas favourites such as Once in Royal David’s City and Hark the Herald Angels Sing.
Mayor Cllr Dianne King said: "The annual primary schools’ carol concert is one of the highlights of the civic calendar. It is one of the biggest events of the year and one that, as Mayor, I am very much looking forward to.
"It is also a time to celebrate the musical talents of the young people of the Wokingham Borough and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved, including the teachers who have spent a great deal of time preparing the children for this concert, James Baker and the young musicians of the Berkshire Maestros Orchestra. Finally a special thank you goes to the children and their parents who each year support this event so enthusiastically."
