ORGANISERS have hailed a star-studded carol concert at Durham Cathedral that is expected to raise tens of thousands of pounds for two charities working in the North East as a resounding success.
The Countess of Wessex took to the lectern to deliver a reading at the spectacular Carols of Light concert, where she also signed the cathedral visitors’ book before the service.
The festive concert which attracted a sell-out crowd on Thursday night was produced by Sir Tim Rice and is expected to raise £80,000.
Carols of Light featured appearances by a diverse mix of celebrities, many with strong links to the North East. Performers included Joe McElderry, Sir Thomas Allen, Rick Wakeman, Barbara Dickson, Kate Adie and Steve Cram and the event was organised to raise money for SAFC Foundation and the Durham Cathedral Music Endowment Fund.
SAFC Foundation works with more than 40,000 children and their families every year in education, health, inclusion and sporting programmes across South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham. Sir Tim Rice is a trustee of the charity, along with Steve Cram and Kate Adie. The Durham Cathedral Music Endowment Fund aims to keep music at the heart of the cathedral through music outreach work with primary schools in the region working with 800 children per year.
The fund also provides bursaries to give local children the chance to be cathedral choristers.
