Doorstep Carols 2021
This year, on the 15th December at 6pm, the nation, with the help of BBC Radio, will join together in song. This will be an extrordianary national fundraising event, highlighting the social and psychological benefits of collective music.
This is BRITAIN’s BIG SING!
I’m happy to support Link For Good and hope that the singing en masse will remind us all that music, especially vocals, can bring everyone together whether in unison or harmony. We must not let recent troubles make us fearful of using our voices.
TIM RICE
Last year Christmas was cancelled, but Doorstep Carols brought people onto their doorsteps to sing collectively in the midst of the pandemic.
Carols on the Doorstep 2020 was broadcast on 35 local radio stations and covered from Shrewsbury by BBC Breakfast News, Channel 5, The One Show and BBC Midlands Today and in national press. It led to amazing scenes of participation from individual streets and neighbourhoods across the country - with instrumentalists on doorsteps, people singing from carols sheets, drinking mulled wine etc. Communities put their own spin on things and collected for charities of their choice.
This year, Link for Good is placing a special emphasis on the social and psychological benefits of collective singing, in particular for children and supercharging this event. This year we have are growing our charity connections to include multiple charities that recognise the value of music in the context of the work they do. This includes AgeUK, Demelza Children’s hospices, Mind, and Great Ormond Street Hospital, Spread a Smile, Dementia UK as well as Youth Music and more.
With the help of Street Theatre’s talented professional singers as well as Pop Choir, Cathedral choirs across the country and more, we are supercharging this extraordinary event for Doorstep Carols 2021.
Our aim is a record-breaking event. A nationwide carol service - facilitated by BBC radio - no-one isolated.
Adding his support to Carols in the Street and Link for Good, Sir Tim Rice said:
“I hope that singing en masse will remind us all that music, especially vocals, can bring everyone together whether in unison or harmony. We must not let recent troubles make us fearful of using our voices.”
The Plan
15th December 2021 6pm-7pm
TUNE IN – DOWNLOAD - SING
We are relaunching our website from last year – www.doorstepcarols.co.uk – all materials (song sheets, sheet music and street organiser packs & media kits) will be hosted here, along with the list of radio stations taking part. All people need to do on the night is Download the words and sheet music - Tune in to their local radio station – Sing or play along!
The running order – a total 60 minute broadcast time with 45 minutes of well know Christmas music backing tracks.
Jeremy Lund who has rewritten the parts making them more friendly for children to play and sing along.
Tracks are being recorded with the BBC on Nov 18th. Participating stations will receive the backing music in advance.
We have confirmed participation of virtually all local BBC radio stations and BBC Soundswho will stream the backing tracks in unison between 6pm and 7pm on 15th December.
We are producing resource packs for schools. Sheet music will be available for everyone to download from the website. www.doorstepcarols.co.uk
Doorstep Carols in the Street 2021 can go ahead whatever the status of covid restrictions.
We have the confirmed participation of:
Great Ormond Street Hospital where children will sing from the ward knowing that they are singing in unison with their loved ones
Spread a Smile children’s choir – this choir of terminally ill children will join with the families of children being treated at GOSH and will sing outside the hospital on the night.
Pop Choir have proposed choir of 300 at a surprise London location
Youth Music are engaging their network of music organizations to participate.
Demelza Children’s Hospice have confirmed participation of the children in their care and their families
CareUK are working to engage all of their 152 carehomes
Winchester Cathedral choirs will lead a special event at the Winchester Christmas market
Guildford Cathedral Choirs are preparing to lead a special event in Guildford.
Ely and Canterbury Cathedral Choirs have also expressed their interest in participating in hub events.
Ex Cathedra will lead song in Birmingham City centre, linking with their Music Medicine and Singing Playgrounds networks to engage children’s hospitals and schools.
We are working with the military engagement branch to engage soldiers, home and overseas. with the help of BFBS.
The 'epicentre' of the event will be carols from Shrewsbury town square, broadcast by BBC Radio Shropshire. Other local radio stations use the same carols audio feed, interspersed with their own reporting from the streets in their area.
Street Theatre have confirmed their commitment to provide professional singers from their list of brilliantly talented performers. Communities can nominate their street to receive a singer who will lead them in song.
Every day we are engage more communities. We aim to reach prisons, homeless shelters, sports teams, EVERYONE!
Imagine this, people gathered in their streets, instruments, minced pies, mulled wine.
A group of elderly people shielded in their care home but tuned in on their radios.
Children together on their hospital ward watching on tv.
A Cathedral choir begins to sing in Winchester, joined by the army in Scotland, joined by professional singers on the ward and in the streets, joined by the sports team at their local ground (or from Australia), joined by the children in the playground and the elderly in their care-home, joined by the supermarket staff in the aisles and the posties at the depot.
The nation, no one isolated, all together, in unison.
© Rebecca Smith September 2021
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