St George's Day marked at hall
Details of this year's St George's Day celebrations at a major concert hall have been announced – and it will feature a range of popular Black Country faces.
Details of this year's St George's Day celebrations at a major concert hall have been announced – and it will feature a range of popular Black Country faces.
Express & Star columnist Professor Carl Chinn and Warley Male Voice choir will be among those appearing at the musical extravaganza on April 25 at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. Creative youngsters in the area are being offered the chance to perform on stage in front of hundreds of people at this year's St George's Day concert.
Organisers of the event have provided a share of a £1,000 bursary to 25 primary schools to encourage them to devise an act which could appear on stage.
Members of the Birmingham St George's Day Association Concert will visit the children in the next couple of weeks to judge the acts.
Concert secretary and former computer support technician Stewart Bissell, 66, from Aldridge said: "The idea behind the bursary is to try and get the youngsters involved in the event.
"We are looking for flair and creativity and also the youngsters who perform will need to have something an extra bit special to play at the Symphony Hall because of the venue itself."
He added: "It may be we take several acts and fuse them together.
"But we will not know who we are going to pick as it all depends on what we see when we judge them."
Birmingham Icknield Male Voice choir and accordion player Andy Casserley are also on the bill for the event. The concert, now in its seventh year, will be conducted by Steve Roche, pianist David Rosser and deputy pianist Chris Walk.
Mr Bissell added: "The concert is usually well attended. It is an important event because St George is the patron saint and we need to mark the occasion.
"It is nice to get the youngsters involved because they will be the generation that will carry the event forward in future years."
Association secretary June Bissell said she was looking forward to the event and hoped people would turn out in force.
"The show is usually a sell out and I am confident it will be the same again this year."
Tickets are £6-8 and include an Express & Star sponsored programme. Details on 0121 780 3333.
