Community carol concert raises the roof (From York Press)

Community carol concert raises the roof

9:21am Monday 19th December 2011 in News By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

MORE than 1,000 people helped raise the roof of York’s Barbican Centre as the city’s annual community carol concert returned to its traditional home.

Viewed by many as the city’s official start to Christmas, yesterday’s event also saw more than £1,000 raised for The Press City of York Afghanistan Commemorative Appeal.

It aims to fund a new permanent monument in the city centre, listing regiments associated with York who have fought in Afghanistan and the names of the York servicemen who have died there.

Tickets sales, as well as a bucket collection, also raised cash for the Lord Mayor and Sheriff’s Christmas Cheer Fund, which provided a reception for some of the city’s senior citizens.

Organiser Graham Bradbury said he was delighted the annual event returned to the reopened entertainment venue, where the concerts were regularly staged from its opening in 1991 until it shut several years ago.

Mr Bradbury said: “It was brilliant to be back at the Barbican – it was like coming home.

The event was near sell out with 400 more than we got at the university and all the acts were absolutely fantastic.” The 54th concert featured Tadcaster Grammar School concert band, York Opera, a joint choir from St George’s RC Primary School and Wigginton Primary School with Steve Cassidy, and Main Street Sound and a ladies’ barbershop choir.

New this year was Yorkulele, a ukelele band based at York St John University.

Yesterday’s concert was also the 16th event hosted by the Rev Andrew Foster, who said he was grateful to be invited back to be master of ceremonies.

The carol singing was under the musical direction of John Warburton, who said it was “good to be back at our home”.

The performance was recorded by York Hospital Radio to be broadcast to its listeners over the festive period.