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On Wednesday 16 December at 7pm, The Christie charity will be streaming a free hour-long Christmas show to people’s homes and the hospital wards.
The Christmas with The Christie online concert will feature festive songs to sing along to as well as a few surprises and celebrity messages from famous faces including Olly Murs, John Thomson, Sally Dynevor, Mark Radcliffe and Peter Hook. And to host the event will be radio DJ Wes Butters who has a regular drivetime show on HITs radio.
A highlight will be Jo Farrow, one of the north west’s most sought after female vocalists, who will sing ‘O holy night’ and ‘When you believe’. Her down to earth and bubbly personality has made her a popular choice for patients, supporters and staff alike. And the Didsbury String quartet will perform the ‘Home Alone’ theme and ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year’.
A Christmas concert wouldn’t be complete without a school choir and this year we have Beaver Road Primary school in Didsbury, who will sing ‘Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer’ and ‘It was on a starry night’. And Webster Primary School’s steel band will join us from their school in Hulme to perform ‘Little donkey’.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without a brass band and this year The Macclesfield Youth Brass Band will play ‘Sleigh Ride’, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ and ‘We wish you a Merry Christmas’. And the Sweet Rhythm Big Band from Urmston will ensure the evening goes with a swing. The Do Your Thing choir will also sing ‘Where are you Christmas?’ and ‘Proud’, and Milltown Studios and Friends in the High Peak will perform ‘With a little help from my friends’, with everyone encouraged to sing along at home or from their hospital bed.
Louise Stimson from The Christie charity said: “Our Christmas concerts are always so popular, it would have been a great shame not to do anything this year. We all know Christmas 2020 will be a little different for everyone and there’s also never been a time when we’ve needed more Christmas cheer. So, curl up on the sofa with a hot chocolate and a mince pie and enjoy the show - it's set to be an evening to remember! Although this isn’t a fundraising event as such, if you’re in a position to make a donation, no matter how small to support our patients, it would be very welcome.”
Everyone can register to receive an email with a link to watch the festive show on a mobile, tablet or computer. And for those who miss it, the whole event will be on The Christie charity’s website right up until Christmas day.
The Christie charity supports the work of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust providing enhanced services over and above what the NHS funds. This includes money for care and treatment, research, education and extra patient services. Gifts from the public make a huge difference to the care and treatment that The Christie is able to provide to patients and their families.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust was the first specialist trust to be rated as ‘Outstanding’ twice (in 2016 and 2018) by the health regulator the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It referred to The Christie as ‘a leader in cancer care’ and ‘a pioneer in developing innovative solutions to cancer care.’ The CQC praised the Trust’s staff which it said ‘go the extra mile to meet the needs of patients and their families’ and that they were ‘exceptionally kind and caring.’ In 2017, the CQC rated The Christie as the best specialist trust in the country, and one of the top three trusts overall in England.