Aled Jones, is a Welsh singer, radio and television presenter, and actor. As a teenage chorister, he gained widespread fame in 1985 with his recording of "Walking in the Air", which reached the UK top five. Since then he has worked in television with the BBC and ITV, and on radio.
Christopher John Davison, known professionally as Chris de Burgh, is a British-Irish singer-songwriter and musician. He started out as an art rock performer but subsequently started writing more pop-oriented material. He has had several top 40 hits in the UK and two in the US, but he is more popular in other countries, particularly Norway and Brazil. His 1986 love song "The Lady in Red" reached number one in several countries. De Burgh has sold over 45 million albums worldwide.
Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club. He came to attention in 1999 when he sang "God Save the Queen" at the Rugby League Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, "Barcelona" at the last match of the Premiership season between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, and a full set of songs at the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final in Barcelona between Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
"Walking in the Air" is a song written by Howard Blake for the 1982 animated film The Snowman based on Raymond Briggs's 1978 children's book of the same name. The song forms the centrepiece of The Snowman, which has become a seasonal favourite on British and Finnish television. The story relates the fleeting adventures of a young boy and a snowman who has come to life. In the second part of the story, the boy and the snowman fly to the North Pole. "Walking in the Air" is the theme for the journey. They attend a party of snowmen, at which the boy seems to be the only human until they meet Father Christmas with his reindeer, and the boy is given a scarf with a snowman pattern. In the film, the song was performed by St Paul's Cathedral choirboy Peter Auty; this performance was reissued in 1985 and 1987.
"Don't Pay the Ferryman" is a song by Irish artist Chris de Burgh. It was released in September 1982 as the lead single from his album The Getaway.
"The Lady in Red" is a song by British-Irish singer-songwriter Chris de Burgh. It was released on 20 June 1986 as the second single from the album Into the Light. The song was responsible for introducing de Burgh's music to a mainstream audience worldwide.
Spanish Train and Other Stories is the second album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1975.
Spark to a Flame: The Very Best of Chris de Burgh is the third compilation album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1989. The album was released largely to capitalise on the resurgence of de Burgh's career after the smash hit of The Lady in Red three years earlier. As a result, most of the tracks are drawn from his 1980s albums The Getaway, Man on the Line, Into The Light and Flying Colours. Only "Spanish Train," and "A Spaceman Came Travelling" come from de Burgh's early output from the 1970s.
"The Circus" is a song by English synth-pop duo Erasure, released on 21 September 1987 as the band's seventh single overall. It is also the title track on their second studio album, The Circus (1987). Written by Erasure members Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, the song was a departure from the shiny pop of their six previous singles, creating a more down-tempo and melancholy mood. Essentially a synth-pop track, the music is accentuated by acoustic guitar and a continuous circus-like accordion. The lyrics touch on social issues, rare for the duo, and centre on the lament of "working men", whose bright futures and job securities are left shattered in the modern world of greedy corporations and technology. The song's distinctive and unusual sound is said to have been inspired by Bell hearing a record being played backwards. The album version clocks at 5.30 minutes, so it was remixed for single release to a much more radio-friendly 3:50 minutes. Mute Records issued it as the fourth and final single from the album. Despite its haunting quality and dark lyrical content, "The Circus" became Erasure's third UK Top 10 hit, peaking at number six.
Now – The Christmas Album is a compilation album released in 1985. The album is part of the Now! series in the United Kingdom, and collects popular Christmas songs of the last few decades. It reached number one on the UK Albums Chart for two weeks, in between two runs of Now That's What I Call Music 6. The album has since been superseded by subsequent two-disc and later three-disc releases in the 2000s.
"December Will Be Magic Again" is a festive-themed song by English singer-songwriter Kate Bush. It was released as a single in the UK in November 1980.
Páll Óskar Hjálmtýsson, known internationally as Páll Óskar and Paul Oscar, is an Icelandic pop singer, songwriter and disc jockey. He had a musical childhood, singing at private functions, with choirs and for media advertisements, but was affected by bullying in school and tension between his parents at home.
"Whenever God Shines His Light" is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and released on his 1989 album Avalon Sunset as a duet with Cliff Richard. Although the album was released in June 1989, this song was released as a single in November 1989 for the Christmas sales market. Morrison and Richard performed the duet on the British music chart television show, Top of the Pops. The single charted at No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 3 on the Irish Singles Chart. AllMusic critic Jason Ankeny describes it as a "standout opener" to Avalon Sunset. Critic Patrick Humphries describes it as "the most manifest example of Morrison's Christian commitment," claiming that although it "is not one of Morrison's most outstanding songs" it works as "a testament of faith". Cash Box said that "if George Harrison can have a hit single while invoking his sweet Lord, Van could do it with the totally engaging 'Whenever God Shines His Light.'"
Now and Then is a 2008 compilation album by Chris de Burgh, containing many of his greatest hits, plus some album tracks. It was released on UMTV Records on April 21, 2008. "Live For The Day" is a new song not previously released.
Best Moves is the first compilation album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1981. It includes songs from his first five studio albums as well as new tracks, "Every Drop of Rain" and "Waiting for the Hurricane". It was the first de Burgh album to chart in the UK, entering on 12 September 1981, peaking at number 65 and staying on the chart for four weeks.
"Is It True?" is a song by Icelandic singer Yohanna, the Icelandic entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow, Russia. The song was composed by Óskar Páll Sveinsson and won second place in the contest. The song was also recorded in Spanish, German, Russian and French.
Notes from Planet Earth – The Ultimate Collection is a 2001 compilation album by Chris de Burgh. Mercury Records released it on March 19, 2001. The official Chris de Burgh website shows two different tracklists, one for the UK version and one for the Canadian version, and also notes "Brand new compilation album, featuring the brand new song "Two Sides to Every Story" with Shelley Nelson ."
High on Emotion: Live from Dublin is the first live album by Chris de Burgh, released by A&M Records in 1990. The album was recorded at the RDS, Dublin in December 1988.
John Gibbons is an Irish DJ and record producer based in London. He is best known for his singles, "Would I Lie to You" and the follow-up, "P.Y.T. ".
The Dream of Christmas is the sixth solo studio and first Christmas album by English singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, released on 26 November 2021 through Polydor Records. The album includes collaborations with actress and singer Sheridan Smith, vocal trio the Puppini Sisters, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Welsh singer Aled Jones. It was preceded by the singles "Sleigh Ride", the title track, "The Dream of Christmas", and on 24 November 2021, "How Christmas Is Supposed to Be" featuring Sheridan Smith. Barlow toured in the UK in support of the album on his All the Hits Live Tour from 27 November 2021.
