Another day, another Making Music member event – one you can be part of.
Well, I could, as I play the cornet! Though anyone can join as a singer in the choir part of the Big Wind Christmas Orchestra & Choir.
So what happens?
On a Sunday before Christmas, following a call-out on social media and via the group’s mailing list, hundreds of wind instrument players, singers and percussionists come together in an outdoor location in London to play Christmas music for three hours to passers-bys whilst raising money for charity.
This year, a record number of people signed up to take part – 257 instrumentalists and 180 singers, a total of 437!
What is the attraction?
When I turned up for the first time, I was enchanted by the magic of being given music and within two minutes of conductor Matt Hardy climbing the podium, hundreds of strangers were making music together that they had never rehearsed together before, all due to their shared understanding of the language of dots on a page and the arm wavings by the individual on the podium.
Isn’t that magic?
The sound such a giant group makes is special, too. Just playing in my brass band on rehearsal day, the harmonies get my bones singing; how much more so on this event!
You also meet lots of other players sitting near you and learn about their bands or playing experience, which is one of the reasons this event was set up: for perhaps lapsed players to take part and be inspired to join a band or choir, maybe even one whose players or singers they meet here.
Some feedback from this year
'I had so much fun with you all today ❤️ thank you!! It was the first choir I've been in since school days... and I'm 58 now!!! I'm determined to join a choir in my town in 2025. Thank you for bringing us all together for such a joyful afternoon!!! 🎄🥰xx'
And there are more incentives to join in! Such a massive group attracts large audiences, especially in a location like Granary Square near Kings Cross, a big hospitality and shopping destination before Christmas. So it’s a great opportunity to raise money for charity, and that is what us players are also there for, however cold the weather.
This year the chosen charity was New Horizon Youth Centre, shaking buckets whilst we played.
In that, this group is not unique: many Making Music members raise money for charities, at Christmas or throughout the year.
Our Big Survey 2022 showed that annually our 4,000 member groups raise £1,876,799 for charities. If Making Music members make up about a third of the UK’s estimated 13,800 music groups, that would suggest leisure time music groups raise around £6 million each year.
So: give yourselves a big round of applause, not just for all the joy you bring with your music to participants and audiences throughout the year and especially at Christmas, but also for all the money you raise, too.
And now it must be time for some mulled wine…
Find out more about the Big Wind Christmas Orchestra & Choir on their website
