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Thornton Heath school hits right notes with Christmas single

With help from a local secondary, a primary choir is vying with Ed Sheeran and Sabrina Carpenter to top the festive charts

On song: the St James the Great school choir recording in the studio at Trinity School

St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath has released its first ever Christmas single, Joy on Christmas Day.

The festive track, written by choir director Ziad Khwiss, features the angelic voices of pupils from the school’s chamber choir.

The single was recorded in the studio at Trinity School in Shirley, whose Big Band students, aged 15 to 17, contributed the instrumentals.

“We had the idea of recording the song when members of the choir simply posed the question ‘Can we sing something new?’,” Khwiss said.

“So, I thought, absolutely! I wrote the song, and they learned it in one session.

“St James is based in an area of high deprivation, and I wanted to show our students that with talent, dedication and passion, all things are possible. They too can take their creative ideas and make them a reality.

“It’s been incredible to see how our young singers and the Trinity Big Band have come together to create something special. The children have learnt so much about the creative and technical aspects of music production, and we’re all so proud of the final result.”

Joy on Christmas Day is available now on Spotify, where it is vying for the coveted Christmas No1 spot.

Could this local collaboration give global stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Ed Sheeran a run for their money?

Proceeds from the song will go to funding St James the Great’s music department.


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