The annual candlelit carol concert, in Marlborough College Chapel in aid of Hope and Homes for Children will take place on Saturday December 14 at 4pm. Tickets are £10, under twelve years are free and are available from Kim Vine, The White Horse Bookshop or by telephoning 01672 562777.
Alison Netherclift, organiser and member of the Vale of Pewsey Support Group for Hope and Homes for Children told marlborough.news, “ I’m delighted to say that last year’s event was a sell out with over six hundred people enjoying what has become a very popular, traditional event leading up to Christmas. ”
The concert this year will be opened by a large children’s choir from the primary schools in the St John’s Excalibur Trust. The choir will be led by music teacher and Head of Oare Primary School, Gudrun Osborn. Other groups participating include Great Bedwyn Millennium Choir and The Bluebells, an acapella group.
Soloists Fiona Scott MacArthur, Izzy Albery and oboist Noah Piercy will also be performing. Chris de Souza is organist and the service will be led by Reverend Janneke Blokland.
The charity Hope and Homes for Children finds alternative, high quality family based care for vulnerable children, who otherwise would be in orphanages. Their work is now recognized as best practice by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.
The charity develops family support services and establishes robust fostering and adoption networks. And it has a local connection.
Colonel Mark and Caroline Cook, who lived in West Stowell, near Marlborough founded the charity after their experience of Bjelave orphanage, in Bosnia. The charity now works with children in Africa and Eastern Europe.