Maggie's Southampton's carol concert is at Winchester Cathedral on Friday 4 December at 7.30pm, tickets £20 to £45, with a Royal Marines band and Romsey choir.
Maggie’s Southampton is holding a Christmas carol concert in Winchester Cathedral on Friday 4 December at 7.30pm, with the Royal Marines Association Concert Band and the Romsey Male Voice Choir. Tickets cost £20 to £45 depending on where you sit, and every ticket goes to the cancer support centre, according to the charity’s poster.
The concert marks 30 years of Maggie’s centres offering free cancer support across the UK. Giantana Boquiron, the centre fundraising organiser at Maggie’s Southampton, told us the evening would bring “together military and choral traditions in a celebration of the festive season”.
Times, prices and how to book
- Concert: Friday 4 December, 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Doors open at 6.45pm, according to the Cathedral’s event page.
- Tickets: £20 to £45, depending on seating.
- VIP reception: 6.30pm to 7.30pm, £25 per person on top of a concert ticket. The reception page lists sparkling wine and canapés, with the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, the Mayor and invited dignitaries due to attend.
- Booking: online through the two Cathedral pages above, by phone on 01962 857 275, or in person at the Box Office inside the Cathedral.
- Questions for the charity: southampton.fundraising@maggies.org or 023 8212 4545.
Why the charity is asking Winchester to come
Maggie’s Southampton is on the grounds of Southampton General Hospital. In her email to us, Gian described what it does:
“We provide free emotional, practical, and psychological support to people affected by cancer. Our centre also offers a welcoming space for people living with cancer, as well as their family and friends, whether they are waiting for appointments or seeking support from a member of our team.”
The Cathedral’s listing adds that no appointment or referral is needed and that there is no time limit on the support.
The money matters because, as Gian put it, the charity has no state funding to fall back on:
“Maggie’s receives no government funding, and it is through fundraising events such as this, along with the generosity of our supporters, that we are able to continue providing free support to people affected by cancer.”
She called the concert an “uplifting Christmas concert” that “will feature the spectacular sounds of the Royal Marines Association Concert Band alongside the Romsey Male Voice Choir”. The poster says the same in fewer words: “Every ticket goes directly to Maggie’s Southampton, helping us provide expert practical and emotional support for people living with cancer and those who love them.”
What it means for you
If you want a carol concert in the Cathedral well before the Christmas services, this one falls the night before the Waynflete Singers’ Christmas Oratorio, while the Christmas Market is running in the Close. The cheapest seats are £20. The full run of Advent and Christmas services, including the free carol services on 20, 21 and 23 December, is on our Cathedral Christmas services page, and the separate light show from 14 to 19 December is on our Cathedral light show page.
If you are driving in for the evening, our parking in Winchester page covers where to leave the car; charges change on 1 November, as set out in our parking charges story.
You can find out more about the centre on Maggie’s Southampton’s own page.
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