At last! The day we've been waiting for is here!
Well 2020 you have been a challenge in so many ways!
The KS2 staff and children were so disappointed when, in November, we finally had to accept that there would be no KS2 Carol Service this year and that we wouldn't even be able to invite families in to school to share our usual Advent preparations. However, not to be defeated, we put our heads together and, before we knew it, the first seeds of our very own Christmas Song were sown!
Six weeks later, several video link-ups with Mrs Melton's daughter Niamh in Manchester, online surveys to keep the momentum going when we had to unexpectedly close school for two weeks at a crucial stage in the process (thanks COVID!), three days of intense practise in ventilated corridors/outside (we aren't allowed to sing in class groups/indoors this year), a whole day recording the children in groups of 3 and 4 to adhere with COVID safety guidelines, several days of excited anticipation while the TWENTY - EIGHT recordings were mixed and mastered by George (Mrs Melton's son who is, very usefully, also a musician) and we have what we think is the BEST CHRISTMAS SONG ever written - even if we might be a little bit biased!
As part of the writing process, the children were asked what they would miss about Christmas this year and their responses became the theme for the song. Amongst the things they said were carols round the tree, going to see shows/pantomimes, grandparents, cousins (they REALLY miss their cousins!), big Boxing Day buffets at 'Aunties', Christmas family walks and getting together with people they only usually see at Christmas. It melted our hearts that it was the 'people' not the 'things' that they valued the most.
And so, we give you 'Sending Christmas Love to You' from the Children of Denby Free.
Please follow the link and consider downloading the track. All proceeds will be split between our Hope for Belper Advent Appeal and our school fund to buy resources to support the children's learning. Then please can we ask that you share, share, share the link and ask friends and family to download and share too. No children are identified so you are free to share by word of mouth, email, facebook, twitter etc.
We will also be posting a video on this website later in the week, which features the song too.
We hope you love our song as much as we do.
The staff and children of KS2 wish you a very Healthy, Happy and Hopeful Christmas and New Year.
The KS2 staff and children were so disappointed when, in November, we finally had to accept that there would be no KS2 Carol Service this year and that we wouldn't even be able to invite families in to school to share our usual Advent preparations. However, not to be defeated, we put our heads together and, before we knew it, the first seeds of our very own Christmas Song were sown!
Six weeks later, several video link-ups with Mrs Melton's daughter Niamh in Manchester, online surveys to keep the momentum going when we had to unexpectedly close school for two weeks at a crucial stage in the process (thanks COVID!), three days of intense practise in ventilated corridors/outside (we aren't allowed to sing in class groups/indoors this year), a whole day recording the children in groups of 3 and 4 to adhere with COVID safety guidelines, several days of excited anticipation while the TWENTY - EIGHT recordings were mixed and mastered by George (Mrs Melton's son who is, very usefully, also a musician) and we have what we think is the BEST CHRISTMAS SONG ever written - even if we might be a little bit biased!
As part of the writing process, the children were asked what they would miss about Christmas this year and their responses became the theme for the song. Amongst the things they said were carols round the tree, going to see shows/pantomimes, grandparents, cousins (they REALLY miss their cousins!), big Boxing Day buffets at 'Aunties', Christmas family walks and getting together with people they only usually see at Christmas. It melted our hearts that it was the 'people' not the 'things' that they valued the most.
And so, we give you 'Sending Christmas Love to You' from the Children of Denby Free.
Please follow the link and consider downloading the track. All proceeds will be split between our Hope for Belper Advent Appeal and our school fund to buy resources to support the children's learning. Then please can we ask that you share, share, share the link and ask friends and family to download and share too. No children are identified so you are free to share by word of mouth, email, facebook, twitter etc.
We will also be posting a video on this website later in the week, which features the song too.
We hope you love our song as much as we do.
The staff and children of KS2 wish you a very Healthy, Happy and Hopeful Christmas and New Year.
Below is the 'music video' to go with our wonderful song. We wanted to spread the children's Christmas joy to you through all of their beautiful faces. Please, please, please don't just listen to the song, but buy it using the link above. It will reward everyone's hard work and mean so much to us all. If you enjoy the video, support us by buying the song!
