A Llanelli choir is hoping to raise £1,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance by holding its first-ever virtual Christmas concert.

After a difficult year for everyone, Côr Curiad Llanelli has decided to deliver some festive cheer to the public into the comfort of their homes.

The Christmas concert is in aid of the lifesaving charity, which is Côr Curiad’s chosen charity for 2020, and will take place via Facebook on Friday, 18 December at 7pm.

The ladies, who will be performing some of their favourite Christmas songs, are no strangers to fundraising. Over the past ten years, they’ve raised over £60,000 for Marie Curie and local hospice Ty Bryngwyn.

The choir, which has been running for over 25 years, has 43 members. This includes mothers, daughters and sisters who all sing for Côr Curiad. They even have members who live outside of Wales.

Before the pandemic, the ladies raised funds via a masquerade ball, Christmas fayre and a Christmas concert in the Parish Church, Llanelli. Since March, their fundraising has come to a stop, with no rehearsals, live concerts or events taking place.

They recently started outdoor rehearsals for a maximum of 30 people, weather permitting, in the stands of Stebonheath Park football stadium.

Chair of Côr Curiad, Andrea Matthews, said: “We’re never beaten. We have now taken to the internet and will be posting our first-ever virtual concert. We can't do live events, so this was the only option. We’ve never done it before but luckily, we have a very good friend who is an IT magician and can put our efforts together. We are hoping people will enjoy the concert and make a donation.

“We’re hoping to raise as much as possible. The Wales Air Ambulance is an essential service for us. Given our infrastructure, geography and the centralising of specialist health services, it's getting increasingly important.” 

The 40-minute concert will consist of videos from previous concerts, footage from individuals’ phones, as well as items that have been recently recorded following strict socially distanced guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety.

Mark Stevens, the Charity’s South Wales Fundraising Manager, said: “It is wonderful to hear that Côr Curiad ladies are thinking of different ways to not only entertain the public during these difficult times but to also fundraise for our Charity. Their support is much appreciated, and I hope many people will tune in and enjoy the concert from the comfort of their own homes.”

The female choir consists of people of all ages, the virtual Christmas concert will feature 12-year-old Scarlet Esney Davies, who is the daughter of musical director Alex, as well as the choir’s eldest member Mrs Chapman, 90.

Over the years the successful choir has organised an annual gala concert at Ffwrness Theatre, Llanelli, which has starred guest singers Paul Potts, Rhydian Roberts, Sam Bailey, and Phantom of the Opera and West End star Peter Carrie.

If you’d like to get into the Christmas spirit, you can start your Christmas celebrations by tuning in via the Facebook group ‘Côr Curiad’.

You can sponsor the ladies via their fundraising page ‘Côr Curiad Llanelli fundraising for Wales Air Ambulance’.