The Manx Youth Orchestra’s traditional Christmas Festival Concert promises something for all musical tastes.

The concert takes place at the Villa Marina at 7.30pm on Saturday 10th December.

‘The event is a high point in the cultural calendar and people often refer to it as the start to their festive celebrations,’ said Maggie Richardson, Head of Music Service with the Department of Education and Children (DEC).

‘Featuring more than 200 young performers, the concert offers an uplifting mixture of classic favourites and popular music, old and new.

‘With traditional orchestral favourites such as Rossini’s Thieving Magpie Overture alongside film music from Star Wars, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Home Alone, there is plenty to get the toes tapping.

‘The programme also features a trio of tubas, the world premiere of a piece for guitar ensemble and woodwind quartet and a rock setting of Winter from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. 

‘All nine groups that meet on Saturday mornings as part of the DEC Music Service activities will take part, including wind bands, string orchestras, the guitar ensemble, the Manx Youth Jazz Orchestra and the senior Manx Youth Orchestra,’ Maggie said.

One of the 10 conductors for the evening, she added: ‘A skilled team of teachers has been working hard all term to produce a programme that will show off our young players’ abilities and help them to achieve their very best, whatever level they have reached in their learning – from those who joined us in September to those who have been playing in our groups for several years.’

Tickets for the concert are ?10, ?9 and ?8 and are available from the Villa Marina and Gaiety Theatre ticket hotline on 01624 600555, the Isle of Man Government Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal and via www.villagaiety.com

The concert, which is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Manx Youth Orchestra, has raised thousands of pounds for local charities over the years. This year’s proceeds will subsidise a senior orchestra tour to Belfast.

The orchestra recently performed concerts for 2,000 primary school children in the Villa Marina, introducing many children to the thrill of a live musical performance for the first time.

Photo - The senior orchestra and guitar ensemble as the audience arrived for one of the primary schools’ concerts on November 15th.