Perth Christmas concert raises funds for charity

11 December 2024

The Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland and the Perth Choral Society Choir joined forces for a “Christmas Spectacular”, putting concertgoers in the festive spirit while raising vital funds for the local Armed Forces community. 

A chilly Perthshire Sunday evening was warmed for the 650 concertgoers who attended a special Christmas concert at Perth Concert Hall last weekend (8 December). 

The Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland, led by Captain Ann Miller, first performed the National Anthem before getting the crowd into the festive spirit with Christmas classics including Swan Lake, Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells. The band, composed of 40 performers, was accompanied by another 60 performers from the Perth Choral Society Choir. 

The concert was staged in support of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity, with volunteers from SSAFA’s Perth & Kinross Branch helping to plan and run the event. In addition, Sea Cadets Perth attended to do a post-show collection for SSAFA, which raised over £1,000. 

Christmas is a bittersweet time for members of the Armed Forces family. While for many, it is a time of joy and togetherness, there are countless people who will feel the effects of loneliness, isolation and loss more deeply. Families may have lost loved ones or have near and dear deployed on service; feelings of isolation may worsen for veterans; and serving personnel may feel the distance more intensely when deployed away from home over the holidays. 

Andy Middlemiss, Branch Chairman, Perth & Kinross at SSAFA, commented: “This year, we wanted to bring some Christmas cheer to the Perth community while fundraising to support our work with serving personnel, veterans and their families in the Perth and Kinross area. 

“I’d like to say a big thank you to the Band of the HM Royal Marines Scotland and Perth Choral Society for fantastic performances, to Sea Cadets Perth for helping our fundraising efforts on the night, and of course, to my fellow volunteers at the Perth & Kinross branch who work tirelessly through the year to support our Armed Forces family through whatever problems they may face.”

SSAFA has been working for the whole UK Armed Forces community since 1885. Its mission is simple: to reach and embrace the Armed Forces family, so they never battle alone.