The Fire Tones: ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’
To raise money for two charities, an ensemble of fire and rescue service personnel have covered Band Aid’s iconic Do they Know It’s Christmas.
Welshpool firefighter Chris Birdsell-Jones came up with the idea and organised the single, getting the necessary permissions from the Band Aid Charity Trust. Proceeds will be split between the Fire Fighters Charity and Band Aid Charity Trust.
He said: “Yes it would be amazing to get to Number One, but it’s genuinely never been about that.
“I’ve seen first-hand the positive impact The Fire Fighters Charity has had on colleagues who have used its services. It’s a cause that is very close to all of our hearts, because any one of us could become a beneficiary at any point in our lives; you just never know when you might need it.”
The Celebs: ‘Rock With Rudolph’
The Celebs, a bunch of television personalities including Lionel Blair, Anne Hegerty, Shona McGarty and Nicola Thorp, have recorded a brand new song to raise money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital Charity this Christmas.
The original track has been written and produced by father-and-son team Grahame and Jack Corbyn.
Like all classic festive songs, it features jingle bells and the word “Christmas” is squeezed into a space that’s just a little too small.
London Gay Men’s Chorus and the Small Charities Coalition
The London Gay Men’s Chorus have provided the soundtrack to the Small Charities Coalition’s advert this year.
SCC produced the video highlighting several different small charities around the country.
James Bowen: ‘And then Came Bob’
I always try to include at least one genuinely moving song in this round-up, and this year it’s James Bowen, the author of A Street Cat Named Bob, whose song brought a tear to my eye. The story of his friendship with a cat he named Bob has touched millions since it was released 2012, and his charity single brings a new dimension to the story.
Proceeds from the song will go a number of homelessness charities, including The Big Issue Foundation.
Dominic Ferris, from international piano duo The Piano Brothers and musical theatre duo Ferris & Milnes, composed the music, and James recorded the song at Ferris’s West Sussex studio.
Out of the Blue: ‘Last Christmas’
The annual charity song from Oxford University’s all-male acapella group is always a hit here, and their cover of Wham’s Last Christmas doesn’t disappoint.
They are again raising money for Helen & Douglas House, which provides hospice care for children and young adults.
The video is, as you would expect, full of Christmas jumpers, fairy lights and fun.
X Factor Winner: ‘The Power of Love’
Traditionally the X Factor winner raises money for charity, and this year is no different.
This year’s winner was Dalton Harris, and proceeds from his cover of the Power of Love (quite appropriate for Christmas) will go towards Together for Short Lives and Shooting Star Chase. Simco Limited will donate 100 per cent of its profits from CDs, downloads and streaming in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
HM Treasury will also donate all the VAT collected on the sales to the charities.
Basil Brush: ‘White Christmas’
Just as it is traditional for the X Factor winner to aim for Christmas number one, so is a rival trying to nab the number one slot from under their nose.
This year’s effort comes from children’s television star Basil Brush.
Shooting Star Chase are beneficiaries of the proceeds of Basil’s cover of the Christmas classic White Christmas. He said: “Never mind X Factor, this year it’s all about Fox Factor”.
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