John Rutter conducts to support Mayor's charity Christmas concert

26 November 2012

British composer John Rutter is supporting the Mayor of the Royal Borough's charity, the Brain Tumour Research Campaign, by conducting a special Christmas carol concert at St Mary Abbots Church on Thursday 6 December.

John Rutter, whose composition Angels' Carol has become a festive favourite, will conduct a special choir `The Kensington Camerata' brought together from other established choirs especially for the evening.

Actors Honor Blackman, Marsha Fitzalan and Geraldine James will join Sir Malcolm Rifkind, MP and columnist Sir Simon Jenkins in giving Christmas readings.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7.30pm, are £25 each.

The proceeds from the concert will help raise funds to buy a Sonawand, a vital piece of neurosurgery equipment, for Charing Cross Hospital and also to fund the Brain Tumour Research Campaign (BTRC). Cllr Christopher Buckmaster, Mayor of the Royal Borough, chose the BTRC as his mayoral charity and the carol concert is one of a number of fundraising events that he is organising to raise funds and increase awareness of the need for research.

Brain tumours cause more deaths in children and adults under 40 than any other cancer in the United Kingdom and are on the increase by over two per cent a year, but less than two per cent of national cancer research funds go to brain tumour research. It has one of the lowest survival rates of all cancers.

Consultant neurosurgeon and chairman of the Brain Tumour Research Campaign, Mr Kevin O'Neill, said that statistics proved patient survival and outcomes are better if Sonowand equipment is available during surgery.

To book tickets please call 020 7361 3659 or email mayor@rbkc.gov.uk . Further details can be found at www.wayahead-btrc.org