A POIGNANT event and concert is being held to commemorate the lives, loves and losses of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The special civic event aims to bring Colchester’s community together to remember those who passed away during the pandemic and thank all those who helped support those suffering from Covid and the families who lost loved ones.

Tomorrow afternoon and evening will have a range of remembrance activities, music, recitals, and other performances.

Special afternoon events outside the Mercury Theatre will begin at noon and run until 4pm, where residents and visitors are welcome to add a message of reflection to St Helena Hospice’s Covid-19 Memory Tree.

Covid Knit, an evolving textile sculpture, worked over the last two years will be on display.

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A group of volunteers will also be planting 15,000 snowdrops on the green space between the Mercury and the Roman wall. Next year, this will be a wonderful sea of white and a space to reflect and remember.

Evening concert guests will be entertained by a string quartet from 6.30pm, ahead of the main concert, which will be compèred by BBC Essex presenters Sonia Watson and Ben Fryer. The show will feature speakers and performers from the Colchester community, including the British Army Band Colchester, Funky Voices, and the Mercury Young Company.

Singers Rosie Heath and Craig Mather will also take to the stage, as will Peter Dutch from Colchester Anti Loo Roll Brigade, actor and Essex based performer Anne Odeke, and Military Wives Choir.

Essex Young Musician of the Year Madeline Robinson, West-end star Hugh Maynard and Anthony Roberts, director of Colchester Arts Centre, will also feature.

The event will be live streamed via Colchester Council’s YouTube channel, so as many people as possible can watch it.

Anyone wishing to reserve tickets should visit here or call 01206 573948.