St Mathews estate in Brixton where Brixton Chamber Orchestra put on a performance Pic: Masbal Cali

With Christmas just around the corner Brixton Chamber Orchestra is returning this year round with more tours for residents. Being supported by the Lambeth Council, Jerwood Foundation and Arts Council England to bring the Christmas joy to Brixton estates from December 8, to December 21, this year.

Taking place in various estates in areas in south-west London such as Brixton, Lambeth and Crystal Palace.

Money raised goes back to the “charities’ four aims; to reach new audiences with live orchestral music by presenting it in new ways and places, to provide a performance and training platform for musicians from Brixton, to innovate new orchestral experiences through diverse collaborations and to embed in our community and be an orchestra of and for Brixton stated on their website.”

Brixton Chamber Orchestra is a charity based in Brixton of a “versatile group of instrumentalists” which gives an exhilarating live orchestra experience for a wide range of audiences in Brixton and beyond.”  The charity was created in 2018 and it is filled with young professionals, volunteers and musicians. The charity takes common music genres and puts their own spin on it for example they take the grime music genre and turn it into a gospel, classical into jazz and disco into drum.

The Christmas estate tours also provides opportunities to young musicians to do what they love and connecting with the community giving back to their community.

Sunday December 10, the orchestra had an open mic portion of the show and a special guest performance of musician Simple Jackson at the estate. Speaking to Jackson he said to Southlondonlines (SLL) that the estate tours are “good for community”.  Their Christmas estate tours were described to SLL as a “amazing performance”, “brilliant” and “lovely show” at the St Mathews estate in Brixton on Sunday.

People took to X, formerly Twitter to share their experiences with the Christmas estate tour as a “legendary performance”, “for all the family” and as a “great night”.

Twice a year they take to Lambeth’s housing estates to their perform to the local community aiming to embed their orchestra in their community. Their music experience at the housing estates is free to purpose the communities with joy and fulling their policy for providing free music experiences for disadvantaged communities telling SLL it’s “gift”. During current times in the UK where people are in a cost of living crisis, the Christmas orchestra can be used as an opportunity to get people together and do something positive in Brixton community. estate residences can utilize this musical performance to help get through these times with their neighbours. The orchestra uplifting performance can be helpful for residences who don’t have a lot.

Lambeth Council is supporting Christmas estate tours the council as announced on their news section on their website to highlight the free Christmas event to the people of Lambeth.

Lambeth Council has emphasised the fact that the Christmas estate tour something for everyone. Deeming it a celebration of community spirit. Several people had told me who live at the St Mathews estate that the Christmas estate tour is something to get their mind off everything. A form of escapism is what the Christmas estate tour for the people of Brixton and an uplifting performance during rough times like this with the cost of living crisis in the UK.

The Christmas estate tour is something that people of Lambeth can look forward to for a great evening.