Singing in festive harmony: choirs come together
SONGS will be sung in more than one language at Reading A440’s Step Into Christmas concert of festive music.
The Woodley-based mixed voice choir will be joined by Ukrainian ladies singers КРИЛА or Kryla, which means wings.
Festive songs will be performed by both music groups, with plenty of opportunities for audience participation.
Concert manager for Reading A440 Clive Charlton explained how the choirs came together.
“The wife of one of our choir members supports a charity called Embrace Me,” he said.
“They raise money to send medical equipment to Ukraine, such as used ambulances, crutches, and artificial limbs.”
Embrace Me held a Windsor gala fundraiser in July this year, and invited Kryla to sing.
The women singers had all left Kiev at the start of the war and formed Kryla in Reading, at the Ukrainian Centre.
“We were also invited to the gala, and we sang with Kryla,” said Mr Charlton.
“It was a lovely event.
“We performed the Ukrainian national anthem together, and afterwards we all went out for a meal.”
Reading A440 enjoyed singing with Kryla so much that they asked them to sing at their October concert in Taplow.
This month, voices of the two choirs will join together once more for Step Into Christmas.
They will perform items from their own repertoires of music, followed by festive songs and carols.
“We’ll also sing some items together,” said Mr Charlton, “with lyrics in both Ukrainian and
English, including a well known song, The Carol of the Bells, which was composed by a Ukrainian.”
Proceeds from the event will support the Red Cross
Ukraine appeal, and a raffle and refreshments will be available.
The event takes place at Christ Church, Woodley, tomorrow (Friday).
Doors open at 7.30pm, and tickets cost £12, or £10 for concessions, and £5 for under 16s.
Tickets can be bought online, from a choir member, or if available, on the door.
■ For information and tickets visit: www.a440choir.org.uk or www. ticketsource.co.uk and search for reading-a440-choir