Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir

Last updated

The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir is made up of a wide range of NHS workers, including doctors, nurses, therapists and many other staff from across the NHS workforce. In 2015, they achieved the UK Christmas number 1, with their single "A Bridge over You", a mash up of Bridge over Troubled Water and Fix You. They released an album the following year, and recorded a version of Justin Bieber's Holy in December 2020. They also were seen performing Joy to the World after the Queen's Speech on Christmas Day 2020.

Contents

Christmas number one campaign

A social media campaign to get the choir to the "Christmas number one", a period traditionally resulting in higher sales than the rest of the year, [1] was launched in October 2015 by choir member Katie Rogerson, junior doctor Harriet Nerva, and Joe Blunden, a communications manager for the National Health Service (NHS). [2] At the time, Secretary of State for Health Jeremy Hunt was debating extending the contracted hours of junior doctors, a move that proved controversial and which prompted the British Medical Association to consider strike action. [3] [4]

Nerva created a Facebook event for the campaign after the video "moved [her] to tears", telling Mirror Online that "getting it to Number One would bring to the public's eye the fantastic service it provides in very challenging times". [3] Rogerson told The Guardian that "it's a challenging time for the NHS and morale is quite low ... We wanted people to recognise all the brilliant things that happen on an everyday basis rather than feel miserable and unappreciated." [2]

On 13 January 2016, the UK Government announced that the value-added tax on sales of the single—16.5p from every 99p sale—would be donated to charity. [5]

Release and reception

"A Bridge over You" was originally released independently by Blunden on behalf of the NHS Trust through EmuBands on 9 December 2013 [6] [7] [8] in support of various charities including Carers UK, Mind and other smaller healthcare related charities. [9] The 2015 campaign's organisers asked supporters not to purchase the song until the week of the Christmas charts so as to focus sales. [10] [11]

On the week of the Christmas charts, Justin Bieber, whose song "Love Yourself" was the favourite for the accolade, [12] [13] tweeted his support for the choir's song: "For 1 week it's ok not be #1.[ sic ] Let's do the right thing & help them win. It's Christmas." [14] Following his tweet, many bookmakers harshly lowered odds on the choir to achieve the Christmas number one, while Coral suspended betting altogether. [15] [16] On Christmas Eve, itv.com commented that the choir "now look unbeatable". [15]

It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart at Christmas 2015, selling more than 127,000 copies, [17] 88,000 sales fewer than Ben Haenow's 2014 Christmas number one "Something I Need". [18] It beat off competition from Bieber as well as The X Factor winner Louisa Johnson, Adele, and Stormzy. [16] [19] It was the closest run-in to the Christmas number one since 2009, when Jon Morter's anti-X Factor social media campaign resulted in Rage Against the Machine's 1992 single "Killing in the Name" taking the accolade ahead of the competition's winner Joe McElderry. [20] Blunden was in regular contact with Morter during the campaign for his previous experience with Christmas chart campaigns.

Blunden, who was manager of the #NHS4XmasNo1 campaign, told The Telegraph on Christmas Day that "it's an historic day for the NHS...a day that the country has shown just how much they love their NHS". [21] Zoe Davies, a medical registrar who sings part of the opening solo, told The Northern Echo that "it gives the NHS a morale boost at a time of uncertainty about junior doctors' contracts and nurses' bursaries being taken away". [22] Chidi Ejimofo, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine who sang the male solo part, [23] told the South London Press "...it is about so much more than the front line doctors and nurses. This song celebrates the work of all the unsung heroes in the NHS, whose amazing work is often taken for granted.". [24] [25]

In its second week on the UK Singles Chart, the song broke the record for the biggest fall for a UK number one single, when it fell to number 29 on 1 January 2016. [26] Previously, the record had been held by McFly's "Baby's Coming Back/Transylvania", which fell from number 1 to number 20 on 20 May 2007. [26] The song dropped out of the charts completely the following week, making the song's two-week chart run the shortest ever for a UK number one single at the time; both records have since been beaten by LadBaby, with LadBaby's 3rd single spending just one single week in the top 75.

Discography

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positions
UK
"A Bridge over You"20151
"Thinking Out Loud"2016–
"Holy (with Justin Bieber)"202041
"Anywhere Away From Here (with P!nk and Rag n Bone Man)"20217

Album

TitleYearPeak chart positions
UK
"Something Inside So Strong"201669 [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We All Stand Together</span> 1984 single by Paul McCartney

"We All Stand Together" is a song by Paul McCartney and the Frog Chorus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby's Coming Back/Transylvania</span> 2007 single by McFly

"Baby's Coming Back" / "Transylvania" is the fourth and final single from English pop rock band McFly's third studio album, Motion in the Ocean. "Baby's Coming Back" is a cover of a song originally written, performed, and recorded in 1990 by the American power pop band Jellyfish, while "Transylvania" is an original by McFly. The single debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart but fell to number 20 the following week, setting the record for the biggest drop off number one until 2016, when "A Bridge over You" by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir fell to number 29 from the top spot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Bieber</span> Canadian singer (born 1994)

Justin Drew Bieber is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to American singer Usher, both of whom formed the record label RBMG Records to sign Bieber in October of that year. He gained recognition following the release of his debut extended play (EP) My World (2009), which was quickly met with international commercial success and led to his establishment as a teen idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justin Bieber discography</span>

The discography of Canadian singer Justin Bieber consists of six studio albums, three remix albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays, 76 singles, and 10 promotional singles. Bieber has attained eight number-one hits on the US Billboard Hot 100 and eight number-one albums on the US Billboard 200 charts. As of June 2019, Bieber has sold an estimated 150 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), he has sold 24 million albums and 121 million digital singles units as a lead artist, in the United States. Bieber was named the "Greatest Pop Star of 2016" by Billboard. He was also named the Billboard Year-End Top Male Artist for 2016 and placed number seven on the magazine's Decade-End Top Artists Chart for the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mistletoe (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2011 single by Justin Bieber

"Mistletoe" is a Christmas song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The song was written by Bieber and his producers, Nasri Atweh and Adam Messinger. The song was released on October 17, 2011, as the lead single from his second studio album and first Christmas album, Under the Mistletoe (2011). "Mistletoe" is a pop and R&B song, that has reggae influences. "Mistletoe" received generally positive reviews from most music critics. The song reached the top ten in Canada, Denmark and Norway, and slightly missed the top 10 in the US, peaking at 11, while also reaching the top forty in nine other countries. It set the record for the highest debut for a Christmas song in Billboard Hot 100 history. The song's accompanying music video was directed by Roman White. It features the singer singing on a snowy, lit-up street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wherever You Are (Military Wives song)</span> 2011 single by Military Wives featuring Gareth Malone

"Wherever You Are" is a song written by Paul Mealor and performed by the Military Wives Choir, sung by ladies from Chivenor and Plymouth under the direction of Gareth Malone. It is a spin-off of the BBC Two television series The Choir: Military Wives. It was released on 19 December 2011 following a campaign to make it the 2011 UK Christmas number one. The song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 1, claiming the Christmas number 1 – selling more than 556,000 copies in the week, more than the rest of the Top 12 combined. The song also claimed the status of the biggest first week sales since "A Moment Like This" by Leona Lewis sold over 571,000 copies in its first week in 2006. The song was included on their debut studio album In My Dreams.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust is an NHS trust which was formed on 1 October 2013 and is responsible for running two acute hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and University Hospital Lewisham, in addition to community health services in Lewisham.

The Choir: Sing While You Work is a British television show broadcast on BBC Two, a spinoff of the 2006 series The Choir. In Sing While You Work choirmaster Gareth Malone creates and trains amateur workplace-based choirs, ultimately to compete against one another. The series first aired in 2012 and began a second series in November 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What Do You Mean?</span> 2015 single by Justin Bieber

"What Do You Mean?" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was released on August 28, 2015 by Def Jam as the lead single from his fourth studio album Purpose (2015). The song was produced by MdL and co-produced by Bieber. It was featured in several year-end lists of best songs of 2015. Commercially, the song topped the charts in several countries, including Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Norway. In Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, "What Do You Mean?" was Bieber's first number-one single. The song's music video features Bieber in bed with a young woman, Xenia Deli, and masked men kidnapping them, as well as an appearance from actor John Leguizamo. Since its release Bieber has mentioned that the song is about his relationship with Selena Gomez.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Yourself</span> 2015 single by Justin Bieber

"Love Yourself" is a song recorded by Canadian singer Justin Bieber for his fourth studio album Purpose (2015). The song was released as a promotional single on November 9, 2015, and as the album's third official single on December 7, 2015. It was written by Bieber, Ed Sheeran and Benny Blanco, and produced by the latter. A pop song, "Love Yourself" features an electric guitar and a brief flurry of trumpets as its main instrumentation. During the song, Bieber uses a husky tone in the lower registers. Lyrically, the song is a kiss-off to a narcissistic ex-lover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Bridge over You</span> 2013 single by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir

"A Bridge over You" is a charity single recorded and released independently by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir, the choir of the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust located in south-east London. It is a mashup of "Bridge over Troubled Water" by Simon & Garfunkel and Coldplay's 2005 single "Fix You", with additional arrangement by the choir's conductor, Peter Mitchell. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart at Christmas 2015.

Mark Ian Hoyle, better known by his online pseudonym LadBaby, is an English YouTuber, musician, and blogger. His content focuses on his experiences as a father and is usually filmed in collaboration with his wife, Roxanne. The couple have had the Christmas No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart every year from 2018 to 2022 with the novelty songs "We Built This City", "I Love Sausage Rolls", "Don't Stop Me Eatin'", "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" and "Food Aid". This made them the first musical act in British history to secure five Christmas No. 1 hits, surpassing the record set by the Beatles, who had four Christmas No. 1 songs in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy (Justin Bieber song)</span> 2020 single by Justin Bieber featuring Chance the Rapper

"Holy" is a song by Canadian singer Justin Bieber, featuring vocals from American rapper Chance the Rapper. It was released on September 18, 2020, as the lead single off Bieber's sixth studio album, Justice (2021). "Holy" is a pop song with elements of gospel. Billboard named it the 41st best song of 2020. The acoustic version was released on November 6, 2020. The official music video for the song was released on September 18, 2020, and features Bieber as a laid-off oil worker and his partner being helped by a charitable soldier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sausage Rolls for Everyone</span> 2021 single by LadBaby featuring Ed Sheeran and Elton John

"Sausage Rolls for Everyone" is a song by British blogger couple LadBaby, featuring vocals from British musicians Ed Sheeran and Elton John. It was released through Frtyfve as a single on 17 December 2021. "Sausage Rolls for Everyone" is a remix and comedy version of Sheeran and John's single "Merry Christmas", which was released exactly two weeks earlier. It has a sausage roll theme as a charity single with the proceeds going to The Trussell Trust. It was released as a single on 17 December 2021.

References

  1. ↑ "Sound of silence vies to be Christmas number one". Telegraph.co.uk. 2010-10-16. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Johnson, Sarah (2015-12-23). "NHS choir: 'I want to show how proud I am of the health service by getting our song to No 1'". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 Bloom, Dan (2015-10-27). "Christmas No1 campaign for NHS choir wins nearly 100,000 fans in a week". Mirror Online . Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  4. ↑ Donnelly, Laura (2015-11-30). "Hopes that junior doctors' strikes could be off as BMA considers truce". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "Government donates VAT from NHS Choir's Christmas number one". GOV.UK . 13 January 2016. Retrieved 12 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "benenden hospital's singing surgeon". www.benendenhospital.org.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  7. ↑ "Congratulations to NHS Choir – Christmas #1! – EmuBands". EmuBands. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  8. ↑ Trotter, Sarah (26 November 2013). "Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust choir back with Christmas charity single after TV fame". News Shopper. Retrieved 29 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "The Trust Choir – Lewisham and Greenwich". www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "NHS choir on a mission to take Christmas No1". The Telegraph. 2015-11-05. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "NHS choir aims for Christmas Number 1". 2015-11-30. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "Who are the contenders for this year's Christmas number one?". liverpoolecho. 2015-12-17. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  13. ↑ Hall, Christopher James. "Who will be the Christmas Number One – and when will it be announced?". Lincolnshire Echo . Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  14. ↑ Khomami, Nadia (2015-12-25). "Justin Bieber beaten by NHS choir to UK Christmas No 1". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  15. 1 2 "'A Bridge Over You' now favourite for Christmas number 1". ITV News. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  16. 1 2 Strang, Fay (25 December 2015). "NHS Choir has beaten Justin Bieber to Christmas Number One". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  17. ↑ Morgan, Georgia; McHale, Kirsty. "The NHS choir beat Justin Bieber to number one". The Independent. Retrieved 25 December 2015.
  18. ↑ "NHS Choir aims for Xmas number one". Chartered Society of Physiotherapy . Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  19. ↑ Adejobi, Alicia (2015-12-21). "Christmas number one: Meet the contenders Justin Bieber, NHS Choir, Stormzy and Louisa Johnson". International Business Times UK. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  20. ↑ "Bieber Beaten By NHS Choir To Christmas No 1". Sky News. Retrieved 27 December 2015.
  21. ↑ Foster, Patrick (2015-12-25). "NHS Choir beat Justin Bieber to Christmas number one spot". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  22. ↑ Minting, Stuart. "Doctor stunned by Christmas No 1 solo triumph". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  23. ↑ Kmietowicz, Zosia (5 January 2016). "NHS choir's number one hit puts health service in media spotlight over Christmas". The British Medical Journal. 352: h7022. doi:10.1136/bmj.h7022. PMID   26732692. S2CID   28783108 . Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  24. ↑ Gould, Kate (31 December 2015). "NHS choir beats Bieber to No 1 Christmas spot". Tindle Newspaper Group. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  25. ↑ "News:Help the NHS Charity choir get to Number 1 this Christmas". NHS England. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  26. 1 2 "Justin Bieber back at chart top spot for 2016". BBC News. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  27. ↑ https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/48849/lewisham-and-greenwich-nhs-choir/
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.