Raven at Christmas

Raven are back at the Stephen Joseph Theatre on Sunday 6 December, their annual Christmas concert in the Eat Me Cafe. It's a long-running fundraiser for the SJT, a registered charity whose proceeds go toward local community work, so the ticket money stays right here in Scarborough.

Raven are a six-piece, multi-instrumental band, and the set blends traditional festive songs with original music, held together by harmonies and melodies they describe as enchanting and haunting. It's not just a one-off; they've built this into a proper fixture of the local Christmas calendar. The Yorkshire Post once described them as 'vibrant women doing something they clearly love', and that's a fair summary of the energy they bring to the room.

Beyond the SJT, the group has played the Grassington Fringe Festival, Coastival, Woodend, Filey Festival, Spotlight Theatre Bridlington, Helmsley Arts Centre, Selby Abbey and Castle Howard. They've also written original soundtracks for Animated Objects Theatre Company's large-scale community projects Leviathan, Orpheus The Mariner and The Odyssey, so there's a fair bit of composing and arranging behind the songs they play live.

The concert runs from 2:00pm and lasts two hours, including an interval. Tickets are £25, which includes a free mulled wine, tea or coffee and a selection of sweet treats. The performance is currently sold out, but there's a waiting list you can join through the Box Office if you're still keen.