The Spirit of Christmas

Singing has many health benefits, not least as a great stress-buster, and we could all do with some of that at this busy time of the year. So why not join the members of Cadenza at one of their many concerts this Christmas?

The annual Christmas concert is once again in Polwarth Parish Church on Saturday 12th December at 7.30pm with our special guests, Regal Brass, and a selection of traditional, contemporary and fun carols, including a particularly magnificent arrangement for choir and brass of a well-known carol.

Or how about the 18th century experience on Wednesday 23rd December in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall? Both are at 7.30pm, so plenty of time to finish your last minute Christmas shopping first!

But first up is the Edinburgh Erskine Christmas Service on Wednesday 9th December at 7.30pm, when Cadenza will make its 10th annual appearance to help raise funds for a major Scottish charity which has provided nursing and medical care for members of our Armed Forces ever since the First World War. We are all too familiar now with news items starting “another soldier died today in Afghanistan.....”. But have you ever thought about what happens to the ones we don’t hear about – the ones who didn’t die, but are seriously injured? How do they deal with what are often horrific injuries?

What happens next? Erskine plays an important part in the rehabilitation and return to civilian life of veterans from many conflicts, but increasingly those injured in war zones like Afghanistan.

The recently opened Mark Wright House is a state of the art 12- bed wing of Erskine’s Edinburgh Home in Gilmerton, the first of its kind in the UK and the result of a partnership between Erskine, the Army and Help for Heroes. As well as providing 24 hour nursing care and physiotherapy by staff who understand their particular needs, Erskine can also help with supported employment for those unable to return to active service, housing and emotional and psychological support. Cadenza is very proud to be helped raise thousands of pounds for this charity over the last decade. Facilities like these are not cheap, and the charity relies entirely on voluntary donations.

The Erskine Christmas Service is an enjoyable, but also very moving, event, and entry is FREE with a closing collection, ALL of which goes directly to the charity. This is the real spirit of Christmas, and one which will continue to bring so much benefit to veterans of our seemingly never-ending conflicts.

More details about the amazing work Erskine does at www.erskine.org.uk

And if you would like more information about Cadenza’s contribution to the spirit of Christmas this year, please go to www.cadenza.org.uk or tel: 01383 851279.