Forty years of festive fundraising

The Occasionals specialise in unaccompanied West Gallery-style harmony singing and are made up of friends and family from the local folk, church, music and social scenes. They meet to practice Christmas carols and songs from early December.

Organiser Gin Crewe, of Brierfield, said, “The Occasionals sing totally unaccompanied harmony versions of traditional carols to raise money for charity. We perform many of the better-known carols, so people can join in, but we also like to throw the occasional less-well known song into the mix. Things such as Silent Night and Good King Wenceslas always go down well, but one that really gets people going is a rather unusual version of While Shepherds Watched. People are taken by surprise at first, then you see their faces light up as they realise what we’re doing, and they start belting it out with gusto. It’s marvellous to see and hear, and great fun, too.”

Although the choir’s numbers fluctuate from day to day, depending on who is available for any given event, it has grown considerably since its early days.

“When we first started, it was pretty much just our family and a couple of friends, “explained Gin, “but over the years it has really taken off and we now have anything up to about 30 singers, with new people coming along each year.”

Gin said the choir had probably raised in excess of £20,000 over the years, with the money going to charities such as Alzheimers, Church on the Street, Salvation Army, Macmillan Nurses, Samaritans and Cancer Relief.

Catch The Occasionals at Boundary Mill, Colne, from 6pm on Wednesday, 11th December, in Burnley town centre from 10am on Saturday, 21st December, and in and around some of Pendle’s pubs and restaurants, followed by the first Communion of Christmas at St Mary’s Church, Newchurch, on Christmas Eve.

This year the group will be collecting for Pendleside Hospice and St Mary’s Church, Newchurch.