Christmas Carols with the Coop & Friends

About

Christmas Carols with The Co-Op & Friends

Featuring the Lympstone Military Wives Choir & the Ottery St Mary Silver Band.

Paul Grainger from Coop Funeral Care Honiton, is well known for his fundraising Christmas Carol Concerts, and this year Paul he has gone bigger than ever before and tonight's show will feature the fantastic Lympstone Military Wives choir and the Ottery St Mary Silver Band. This years beneficiaries are The Beehive (Supported by the Coop in 2023/24) & Barnardo's. Donations will also be made to tonight's choir and band.

Join us for a fabulous night of Christmas Carols and Festive Music, ending with much loved Christmas Carols for all to sing along to!

Lympstone Military Wives Choir:

The Military Wives Choirs is a community of over 2000 women in 72 choirs across the UK and internationally. We come together to celebrate a love of singing and a communal understanding that comes from our members' shared experiences of the Armed Forces.

We welcome all women whose lives are currently impacted by their military connection; our network supports each other and forms life-changing friendships that lead to new and uplifting experiences through singing.

Singing in a choir has been proven to increase wellbeing and improve mental and physical health. With no auditions and no pressure to perform, the Military Wives Choirs gives its members the opportunity to spend time with women that truly understand the challenges associated with military life.

Lympstone MWC was formed in 2011, one of the first choirs to come together after the Gareth Malone TV series. We currently have around 20 members and rehearse on Wednesdays 5.30-7.30 pm in the Gordon Messenger Centre, opposite CTCRM’s main gate.

Ottery St Mary Silver Band:

The Ottery St Mary Silver Band was formed in 1920 after a decision was made to move away from the previous set up of a military style concert band including reed instruments as well as brass. This had been the case for many years leading up to the First World War. Instead, the newly formed band used brass instruments only. They initially called themselves the Town Band but like many bands in the South of England they later referred to themselves as a Silver Band rather than be likened to the colliery bands of the North.

Today's band has a mixture of brass and silver plated instruments In 2023 the OSM Silver Band celebrated its centenary with a well attended and very successful concert at the Kings School in Ottery. This had originally been scheduled for 2020 but was cancelled due to COVID.

Although the the traditional brass band contest is not something OSMSB gets involved in these days, it does nonetheless have a busy schedule of engagements during the year including spring and Christmas concert, fetes, church services and carol playing, to to mention the Honiton show and regular summer engagements at Connaught Gardens in Sidmouth.

We offer brass class training and main rehearsals are held between 7.30 and 9.30 every Thursday at Escot Village Hall.