A chorus of voices will swell at the weekend as the first carol concert organised by two of Hampstead’s musical residents gets underway.

There are tickets remaining for A Christmas Celebration, an evening of song and verse at Hampstead Parish Church, in Church Row, on Saturday (December 7).

Conductor George Vass and Virginia ‘Ginny’ Greenwood, chief executive of The Mayor of London’s Fund for Young Musicians, came up with a plan for a concert in the summer.

“We wanted to do something special for local residents, and as we both work in the music world, we wanted to do something for the community,” said Ginny.

Central to the evening are the charities being supported. The donations will be split between Hampstead’s Marie Curie Hospice, in Lyndhurst Gardens, and the International Consortium of Street Children, which celebrated it’s 20th anniversary this year.

Ginny, who is a trustee of the charity, said: “There are lots of charities doing amazing work on the ground across the world for street children. We are an umbrella organisation which can act as a voice for everybody.

“A child on the streets has no rights and we are deeply concerned about those lack of rights so we campaign and advocate in both the UN and UK for street children to be recognised.”

Ginny and George hope to continue A Christmas Celebration every year and support one local and one national or international charity as they do so.

This year they have a tantalising line up.

The Heath Singers will entertain with their own score of Christmas music conducted by George and accompanied by organist Edward Kemp-Luck

Young actors from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Swiss Cottage are involved with the readings and poetry throughout the hour and a half performance.

There are plenty of songs for the audience to join in with too.

Ginny has commandeered local school children to take people to their seats and serve refreshments, and state and private schools will get involved, making it a true community party.

“Christmas is a time that we take for granted, we’re all going to have a lovely time with our families,” said Ginny.

“In a hospice you’re not at home and street children don’t have a home.

“I feel very strongly about street children, they are unseen and unheard people and there are millions and millions of them in the world.”

Join both George and Ginny on Saturday for a night to raise your spirits.

To book go to www.december7.eventbrite.com. Tickets cost £4 for children, £10 for adults and £24 for family tickets, with prices rising on the door.

To find out more about the charities, visit www.streetchildren.org.uk or www.mariecurie.org.uk