Rotherham Hospital choir hits all the right notes with Christmas single

It will raise funds for the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity

Author: Jemma HallPublished 14th Dec 2020
Last updated 14th Dec 2020

Move over, Mariah Carey and watch out, Wizzard - Rotherham Hospital's NHS Heroes are making a bid for a big Christmas hit this year.

11 staff have teamed up to record and release a charity single, which has been put together in a makeshift studio on site.

'Christmas Courage', which comes out today (Monday), is based on a poem written by Activities Coordinator, Maggie Boldan, and has been brought to life by graphic designer and budding music producer, John Slater.

The song aims to raise morale and festive cheer among staff and patients, and funds for the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity.

John, who has worked around the clock to get the song ready for release, added: “We now know that most Christmas songs and videos are recorded much earlier in the year, but we were inspired to transform Maggie’s wonderful poem into a song, so we didn’t feel deterred by the tight deadline.

“We’ve worked around the clock to make it happen within days and thanks to some amazing singers from across the Trust who volunteered to lend their voices to the song, we’ve managed to record it in time for Christmas.

“It’s been an incredibly difficult year for our hardworking colleagues and we know that Covid-19 has touched the lives of many people in Rotherham. We hope our song lifts people’s spirits in the run up to Christmas. Thanks to all our colleagues who answered our call to sing at short notice. We hope you love listening to it – we’ve had a lot of fun making it.”

Maggie, who has worked on the Covid-19 wards, has seen first-hand how hard everyone has worked. She said: “It’s been emotional and heart-wrenching at times because our patients can’t see their loved ones in person. It’s been incredibly sad. But it’s also been amazing to see how hard working our staff have been. They have really pulled together in such difficult circumstances and I couldn’t be prouder.

“It would be amazing if we could also raise some money for the Rotherham Hospital and Community Charity too. If people hear it and love it, please donate to the charity’s Christmas campaign. It really will make a difference.

‘Christmas Courage’ is available to download via Spotify, iTunes or Google Play.

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