Festive Fever Hits Salisbury as Song for Christmas 2024 Returns with a Bang

Salisbury schools are once again in for a treat as Salisbury Radio's highly anticipated Song for Christmas competition makes a comeback for its third year in 2024. The event, which is open to all primary-aged schools in the local area, promises to bring an unparalleled wave of festive cheer to the community.

This year's Song for Christmas is being run in partnership with Elite Care of Salisbury, who have generously provided book vouchers as prizes for the winning schools. The winning school will receive a staggering £250 in vouchers, which they can use to purchase brand new books for their school library. Furthermore, the first runners-up will also receive a commendable £150 in vouchers.

Last year's Song for Christmas witnessed an impressive participation of 20 local primary and infant schools, and this year, the organizers are expecting an even higher turnout. The competition aims to feature a brand new song every day in December, culminating in the grand finale on Christmas Eve, where the winner will be announced.

Woodlands Primary School took home the coveted title last year with their mesmerizing rendition of 'Walking in the Air', narrowly beating Alderbury & West Grimstead Primary School to the top spot. Matthew Kitley, head of Woodlands Primary School, expressed his elation at winning the competition, stating, 'This is fantastic news; it means the world to the children. They have worked so hard.'

The winning Woodlands choir comprises the school's year five and six students, who came together to celebrate their victory with a special performance during a school assembly, accompanied by the presentation of the book vouchers and the Song for Christmas trophy.

The competition process involves Salisbury Radio visiting each participating school to record their 'Song for Christmas', which is subsequently played on the local radio station throughout December. A panel of esteemed judges, comprising former local head teachers, evaluates the songs without knowing which school performed which song, ensuring a fair and unbiased scoring system.

In addition to the Song for Christmas competition, Salisbury Radio has also organized two carol concerts for the participating schools to perform in. These concerts will take place in mid-December at the Sarum Academy's performance hall, providing the students with an opportunity to showcase their talents before an audience of fellow students, family, and friends. Andy Munns from Salisbury Radio described last year's concerts as 'excellent', with one teacher commenting that the experience made their students 'feel like rockstars'.

Andy Munns voiced his enthusiasm for the event, saying, 'This is one of the best things we do each year. It's so much fun and helps spread some festive joy across Salisbury, South Wiltshire, and West Hampshire.'

This year's Song for Christmas competition will not only bring festive cheer to the community but also contribute to a noble cause. The songs will be available for download for a donation of £1, and the proceeds, combined with the collections from the carol concerts, will be donated to Salisbury Foodbank. Salisbury Radio's commitment to giving back to the community is epitomized in Andy Munns' statement, 'This is a community event, and it's essential to us that we use it to do good for the community too.'