The traditional free, charity fund-raising Christmas carol concert by a long-established Croydon choir never took place in the Whitgift Centre this month.
Christmas cheers: the Croydon Male Voice Choir raised thousands for charity… singing carols at the St Nicholas Centre in Sutton
Last year, the Scrooges at Westfield turned away the Croydon Male Voice Choir from what was once an annual crowd-pleaser.
Over more than a decade of carol concerts in the Whitgift Centre, the CMVC had raised tens of thousands of pounds for good causes, including Croydon Vision, which supports the visually impaired, for victims of the Sandilands tram crash and Crisis, which supports those facing homelessness.
Westfield manage the desolate and increasingly deserted Whitgift Centre, with what seems the deliberate intention to drive away what remains of the businesses based there, and making it as unattractive to shoppers as they can.
After being blocked last year, the Croydon Male Voice Choir opted not to bother seeking permission to perform their repertoire of carols, ancient and modern, for what today passes for passing trade in the sadly neglected Whitgift Centre.
Croydon’s loss proved to be Sutton’s gain, as the choir – which this year celebrated its 50th anniversary – helped to lift the spirits of Christmas shoppers on the other side of our borough boundary.
At the start of December, they sang carols at the switch-on of Beddington’s Christmas lights, appearing alongside the Madder Mill Molly Dancers from Carshalton. Heavy rain soon drove singers and dancers inside the nearby Doghouse pub, where CMVC led carol singing for the regulars.
A week later, the choir performed its traditional Christmas concert to a packed audience at St John’s Church in Shirley. As well as singing carols with the choir, the audience donated a sizeable sum to the Demelza charity, which provides support for children and young people who have serious or life-limiting illnesses.
And banned from the Whitgift Centre, the choir instead turned out on two dates at the St Nicholas Centre in Sutton, drawing crowds and winning plaudits for songs ranging from Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus to Coldplay’s “Fix You”, and making collections for charity, too.
Sutton shoppers contributed nearly £2,000 for charities, including Crisis at Christmas.
There was also an appearance by the Phoenix Concert Band from Sutton, who played carols and collected further funds on behalf of the Mayor of Sutton, who was supporting two charities, the Sutton Women’s Centre and the local branch of the Parkinson’s UK society.
CMVC is looking ahead to a busy 2026, returning to rehearsals at its Sandilands base in Addiscombe on January 8 with its first concert of the year looming.
Anyone interested in joining the choir is welcome to come to the rehearsal, which starts at 8pm. Full details can be found at www.croydonmalevoicechoir.co.uk
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There is probably not much point in trying to do carol singing in the Whitgift Centre as there is so little footfall there nowadays that so few people would hear it.
Can’t the Croydon Male Voice Choir do carol singing in North End, Surrey St, or btw East Croydon station and Boozepark in the evening rush hour, all of which have far more people than the fading Whitgift Centre?
And no roof. Not even a leaky one.
There are all sorts of provisions places like that have to take into consideration. Plus they were running an official event at specific times, for choirs specifically to sign up to perform with the aim to raise funds for a chosen charity. CMVC are brilliant but they could’ve signed up the official way and not caused any fuss…
From what I can see the Centrale and Whitgift marketing team are doing what they can with what they’ve got, making an effort in far more ways than previous. Their efforts with the organised carol singing should’ve been acknowledged more in this instance. I expect it was an organised event to ensure passers by were encouraged to watch, with lower footfall at every high street in the Uk this is a good idea.
You’ve missed the point completely.
Croydon Male Voice Choir is a long-established and widely admired choir.
CMVC had been singing carols inside the Whitgift Centre for more than a decade, with the management’s permission, and raising significant sums for charity. But when they sought to book in for Christmas 2024, the Westfield management snubbed them.
It’s not only tenant businesses and shoppers Westfield are driving away.
And in the main, we do not allow anonymous commenters.
I remember when they were on the mural besides the Allders entrance beside Poundland before it was painted over before Poundland went bust before that entrance was boarded up before…
they stopped a perfectly family friendly choir singing carols . yet earlier in the year allowed a music video to be recorded featuring young women.. almost dressed.. and “dancing” in a way that wouldnt have been out of place in a s.. trip club.. go figure….
Go figure what, Hazel?