Last updated at 13:24, Friday, 18 December 2009

A HINT of snow blew over Ulverston’s Market Cross as musicians young and old performed festive classics in aid of flood victims.

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Ulverston Victoria High School chamber choir sang a collection of Christmas carols and hymns to the sounds of the South Cumbria Retirement Band yesterday.

The band played under shelter of a gazebo while the choir, led by conductor Richard Butler, braved the cold, wet weather as they sang with gusto underneath the town Christmas tree at the top of Market Street.

Passers-by generously dropped change into a bucket placed in front of the performance area at the top of the cobbled street, which was busy with shoppers browsing the stalls on market day.

The proceeds will go to the Cumbria Community Foundation Flood Appeal, for which UVHS has already raised £1,121.68.

Members of the Rotary Club of Ulverston were also in the town centre collecting for the flood fund, each of them clad in a red Father Christmas hat.

St Nicholas himself was even in attendance, sat inside a Rotary club mini caravan parked beside the choir.

Children spoke with the big, red-suited bearer of gifts and were treated to bags of sweets.

After warming up, the UVHS chamber choir, joined by a clarinet quartet, later visited old folks at Aldingham Nursing and Residential Home to perform more Christmas songs.

Mr Butler, who conducted the choir at Market Cross in his shirt and tie without a jacket, said: “I forgot to bring my coat from home, which was a fatal mistake.

“I think we all froze to death, but it was a nice occasion.

“Today was not so much about the fund-raising, but about getting out and singing in the community.

“At our Christmas concert on Tuesday night we managed to raise nearly £600 for Cancer Care, as well as raising funds for our own charity – Friends of UVHS.

“It was nice to sing with the backing of a band, I think they worked quite nicely together.”

First published at 12:56, Friday, 18 December 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk