THERE may still be 116 days until Christmas, but preparations are already under way for a carol concert in aid of our Guardian Angels campaign.

The community concert - now in its 49th year - is an annual festive fixture for more than 1,000 York residents.

It is not even September yet, but event organiser Graham Bradbury has already been humming carols to himself as tickets for the concert go on sale.

Graham said: "We've obviously got a recipe for success.

"The key is, although it's a religious time of year, this is not a carol service, it's a carol concert.

"There's no sermon or anything like that. Because we are not in a church, we get all sorts of people under the same roof, all enjoying themselves - and everyone goes out smiling."

Tickets will be available at the Grand Opera House box office from tomorrow.

Like last year, the concert will be held at the Barbican Centre, but that means bringing it forward to Sunday, November 26, to make way for the UK Snooker Championships.

Graham said: "I know some people will be thinking oh no, not Christmas again', but we haven't got long until the concert so we have to get organised.

"It is a bit strange to be singing carols to myself in the street when it's only August, though."

Graham is following in his father's footsteps by organising the concert.

He said: "My father started it all in 1958. He died in 1994, and I was co-opted into helping out. This will be my third concert as organising secretary."

Since its inception, the community carol concert has raised money jointly for The Press appeals and the Lord Mayor and Sheriff of York's Christmas Cheer Fund. This year is no different, and organisers are hoping to net £1,000 for our Guardian Angels campaign.

Under MC Andrew Foster and the musical direction of concert stalwart John Warburton, the show will feature performances by:

  • The Shepherd Building Group Concert Band
  • St Wildfrid's Junior School Choir
  • Bootham School Chamber Choir
  • St Luke's Parish Church Choir
  • York Colleges Guild of Handbell Ringers
  • Soloist Jessa Liversidge.

All tickets are £5, cash or cheque only, and will be available at the Grand Opera House from tomorrow.

Earlier this month, we handed over the first instalment of £35,000 to York Hospital, part of our £300,000 target to fund a high-dependency unit on the hospital's children's ward.