CHRISTMAS in York got under way in earnest last night with the city’s annual Community Carol Concert, held as usual at the Barbican Centre.

Children from St Lawrence’s Primary School and the Haxby Road Primary Academy captured the hearts of the audience with their enthusiastic singing, the Tadcaster Grammar School concert band impressed with a talented performance and a range of other choirs and bands put on displays of fine musicianship.

The audience got into the festive spirit both with community carol singing and with donations to charities including the York Food Bank, which this newspaper nominated to benefit from last night’s event, and the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Cheer annual lunch party for senior citizens.

If this year’s concert proves anything like as successful as previous events, these very good causes will end up with a substantial financial boost. Now that’s what we call Christmas spirit.