Thames Valley Community Choir, BBC Berkshire Choir, Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra, The Coombes School Choir

This year Thames Valley Community Choir (TVCC), BBC Berkshire Choir and Berkshire Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) are performing a special Christmas Concert at The Great Hall – University of Reading on Sunday 20th December.

The concert titled ‘The Snowman – A Concert for Christmas’ and will feature not only TVCC and the orchestra, but also the children from The Coombes School in Arborfield all of whom will be bringing a truly seasonal mixture of wonderful carols and Christmas songs.

Songs by John Rutter, Bob Chilcott, Benjamin Britten, Michael Smith and others, as well as the opportunity for the audience to join in some seasonal favourites, will be a feature of the concert. The BYSO will also be playing the complete work ‘The Snowman’ by British composer Howard Blake and the Coombes Choir will sing ‘Walking In the Air’.

They are very lucky to have Paul Ross of BBC Berkshire as host and he is very much looking forward to presenting the event having taken a great interest in all that TVCC and BYSO do. He wants everyone to get into the Christmas spirit and take part in what promises to be a truly interactive time singing and listening to the music on show.

This year’s concert is in aid of The Berkshire Young Musicians Trust. This charity operates as Berkshire Maestros and is committed to bringing the best in music education to children across the county. For any of you who have heard the BYSO, or perhaps came along to the TVCC concert of The Armed Man at the Hexagon in 2014, then you will appreciate what a truly outstanding orchestra they are and why the Maestros efforts are opportunities for music education for all children is so important. The standard is high, the motivation equally so and the enthusiasm of all the players is infectious.

In 2016 the orchestra and the Berkshire Youth Choir are travelling to China on a music tour; ambassadors of the best of British youth music.

Your support for this concert will help their costs, as they have no sponsorship so with all proceeds from this concert going to the Trust you will be playing a art in their continued work.