School choir records Christmas single to raise money for music department

6 December 2024 Claudia Lee

A group of talented schoolchildren have recorded a Christmas single to raise funds for their music department.

St James the Great Primary School in Thornton Heath have released Joy on Christmas Day, a festive track written by choir director Ziad Khwiss, which features the angelic voices of pupils from the school’s chamber choir.

The school teamed up with nearby Trinity School in Shirley, whose Big Band students, aged 15-17, played the instrumentals during recording sessions.

Mr Khwiss said: “We had the idea of recording the song when members of the choir asked ‘Can we sing something new?’

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

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

*The festive track was written by choir director Ziad Khwiss, and features pupils from the school’s chamber choir (Picture: St James the Great Primary School)*

Mr Khwiss said: “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.

“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 and is one of 28 contenders vying for the coveted Christmas Number One spot.

Stream the full track here: https://open.spotify.com/track/4XtTrMangF8VBsXjsRgFVR?si=183fa58e5a784d8e

Pictured top: Chamber choir members at St James the Great Primary School (Picture: St James the Great Primary School)