Castletown Silver Metropolitan Band and Rushen Silver Band have released their programmes for the festive season.

It’s a busy time of the year for both bands as they play at a range of community events as well as take to the streets to go carolling, raising important funds.

Rushen Silver Band’s packed programme gets under way with their own Christmas Concert, at the Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, on Saturday.

There are less than a handful of tickets available for the evening concert but a few tickets remain for the 3pm concert.

Music will include many Christmas favourites and carols. Singing along is encouraged.

The band will be joined by the band’s ex-percussionist and this year’s Cleveland Medal winner, Debbie Gooding, who will sing both on her own and with the band.

For tickets (£11) contact the Erin Arts Centre box office or visit the website.

The band will host its second Christmas Carol train on Saturday, December 9, at 12.30pm, following its sell-out debut last year.

Passengers will enjoy a return trip from Port Erin to Castletown, disembarking at Port St Mary, Colby and Castletown to sing carols with the band, before returning to Port Erin for refreshments to the band’s musical accompaniment.

Tickets (£15 or £5 for children) are available from Graeme Easton on [email protected], or on 435056.

The band will be out and about the streets of Port Erin and Port St Mary during the month, playing around the village and collecting money in aid of its annual running costs of about £7,000.

And they will be helping organisations with their celebrations, including Port St Mary and Port Erin Commissioners events, the Port Erin Traders, St Colomba’s Church, Ballafesson Chapel and Port St Mary RNLI.

Ballafesson Brass, the development band of Rushen Silver Band, will be joining the festive fun with an informal concert at the Erin Arts Centre tomorrow (Friday) at 7.30pm. This is a free concert and no tickets are needed.

The band finishes its Christmas events by playing for the residents at Southlands Residential Home at 11am on Christmas morning, giving residents and their families a festive treat before their lunch.

Band chairman Chris Weldon said: ‘Christmas is a chance for the band to help all members of our community celebrate, there really is something for everyone.

‘While a lot of people come and see us perform throughout the year, many more only hear us on the streets, and we get lots of feedback saying Christmas starts when people have heard the band out and about.’

Rushen Silver Band also has a CD of Christmas music, Christmas, available from the band for £10.

For the full list of dates visit www.rushensilverband.org.im or the band’s Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band’s festive programme started in Foxdale at the weekend, where they were in action at The Baltic.

They will play carols at the end of Arbory’s Christmas celebration tomorrow (Friday). The lights will be switched on at 5.40pm by Rev Simon Archer before Father Christmas arrives at the parish hall.

A young people’s concert led by Arbory School Choir, Arbory Brownies, Cubs and Scouts starts at 6.45pm before carols with the band at 7.30pm.

The following day, they will be playing at Castletown’s lights switch on event, which gets under way in the Market Square on Saturday at 2pm with a Christmas market and live performances, including from the cast of Aladdin and Cleveland Medal winner Paul Costain.

The band will be playing at 5pm then Santa will be in his grotto from 6pm, when the Christmas lights will be switched on by Castletown Carnival Queen Lily McLoughlin-Lowey.

Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band’s annual Christmas Concert takes place at Morton Hall, in Castletown, on Tuesday, December 12 at 7.30pm. Entry costs £5 on the door and includes tea, coffee and mince pies.

The band will be out carolling in Castletown and Ballasalla throughout December.

See the band’s Facebook page for the full list of dates.

And their final Christmas engagement is a carol service on Christmas Eve at 2pm in the Market Square.

Brian Osborn told Island Life: ‘The band are looking forward to the next few weeks, we love getting out around the streets playing carols and bringing some festive cheer directly to our supporters and residents of Castletown.

‘It’s great when people come out to say hello and sing along.

‘Christmas is a very important time of the year for the band, it helps us raise funds to keep the band running but also gives us the opportunity to take our music out to the local community rather than them having to come to us in a formal setting.

‘However we would love to see as many people as possible at our Christmas concert on December in Morton Hall, Castletown, so if you’re free please come along.’