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Big Christmas

Wind Orchestra and Choir

The Big Christmas Wind Orchestra and Choir carols - we probably maintain the largest cause in a single afternoon, and nearly £8000
is a festive highlight for many musicians, collection of New Christmas Praise books in total over all of our years of performance.
forming annually in central London for an outside the Salvation Army itself! On top of Like most music-making in 2020, things will
afternoon of Christmas music and fun. Over the traditional carols and songs we have a few be a little different for us this year. It wouldn’t
300 musicians come together every year concert band arrangements of pop medleys be right for us to gather so many people
for a one day festival of Christmas music - and Christmassy classical favourites. close together to play, even if the current
from 6 tubas, 12 bassoons and even a bass restrictions are lifted soon. We are therefore
saxophone, right up to 3 recorders and moving online, inviting people to submit vid-
6 piccolos, everyone is welcome and the eos of their own for us to compile into one
resulting ensemble is an incredible sight enormous recording! Hopefully we will also
and sound to behold! host a live online playalong session later in
December - to join in on our plans, just visit
our website at
www.bigchristmaswindorchestra.org

Formed in 2012, the Big Christmas Wind
Orchestra was started by a group of friends
who were keen to use their musical talents
in a public performance around Christmas
time. The initial gathering was attended by
We usually meet for 3 hours in the open air around 40 performers, all from a range of
near Spitalfields Market and reach a high London concert bands and wind orchestras.
standard of performance despite a mixed Over time, the event has grown to reach over
ability group and no rehearsal. Our 300 musicians, and from 2017 onwards, As well as bringing festive joy to our
experienced professional musical director, a choir has also been invited to sing along. performers and audience, we fill a gap in
Matthew Hardy, always carefully selects a musical provision, for amateur performers
wide range of Christmas music that is to come together for a single one-off event,
accessible to all performers, whatever their especially for those who do not regularly
confidence or ability. make music with a group. We received a
grant from the Arts Council in 2017 which
allowed us to purchase all of our own sheet
music, based on our plans to use the event
as a catalyst for community music making.

We know that while we perform we are
an impressive spectacle for the gathered
crowds, so we invite a charity partner to
come and run a collection every year. With
We base our programmes around the well good weather and enthusiastic collectors,
known “New Christmas Praise” books of we have raised more than £1800 for a good

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