Festive CD to boost appeal

TIS the season to be jolly - and cool too thanks to a new CD of music set to be released by the Evening Star and BBC Radio Suffolk.

The Star and Radio Suffolk have teamed up to produce a great new charity CD of Christmas tunes featuring some of the biggest names in the Suffolk music scene.

And youngsters from Amberfield School have been tuning up their vocals and have taken part in the recording of one of the 15 Cool Yule tracks.

As well as making the recording a picture of the youngsters will also be featured on the album sleeve.

The children joined singer Hannah Scott to record a new version of classic Christmas song Silent Night.

Ipswich based music producer Pat Grueber, who runs Gemini Studios, visited Amberfield to oversee the recording of the track.

Mr Grueber, who works with professional musicians and singers at the studios, said he was impressed at how the youngsters, who were aged between four and ten, rose to the challenge of recording the song.

He said: “It has been done quite traditionally.

“There is no drums and it's just a piano and they sing together, it's simple but I think that make it quite impressive.

“The children were really excited about it and it was great to see their faces while we were recording.

“They knew what it was all about and they really got into it. They were in fine voice and I was impressed with how well they did.”

After recording at the school, Mr Grueber went back to Gemini Studios to mix the children's voices with Hannah's and create the finished product.

Music is a high priority at Amberfield and the children there have music lessons from a specialist teacher twice a week from the age of three.

Junior school head Linda Ingram said the youngsters had enjoyed the recording and had been proud to be part of the charity CD.

She said: “They were really excited to be involved.

“One of our parents did a cake sale and raffle on the day of Children In Need so they knew we were having that and this got them even more excited about the day.

“Lots of them are asking when they can buy the CD because they enjoyed being a part of it so much.”

The recording could be the start of a relationship between the school and Gemini Studios, as they now hope to work together again on a new project in the new year.

BBC Radio Suffolk presenter and Evening Star columnist Stephen Foster is the brains behind the project and he said he had been overwhelmed by the response from bands wanting to take part in Cool Yule.

He said: “I am delighted that it has all come together so well and the musicians and children have done us proud.

“Everyone was dead keen to do it and be a part of it and I think there will be people who are already thinking about taking part in another CD next year.”

ABOUT THE CD

ALONG with Silent Night, Cool Yule features a mix of old and new Christmas songs, such as Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, Frosty The Snowman, Fairytale of New York and Merry Xmas Everybody.

The acts who have taken part include well known Ipswich bands and performers such as Debs Warren, Tuscan Raiders, Blind Poets, Camel Foot Raiders, Caution Horses and the Groove Doctors, along with several others.

Cool Yule is set to go on sale by the end of this month and you can buy your copy from the Evening Star offices in Lower Brook Street, BBC Radio Suffolk in St Matthews Street, the Ipswich Record and Tape Exchange in Upper Orwell Street and the Tourist Information Centre in St Stephen's Church.

It will cost just £7.99 and all profits from sales - 75 per cent of each CD sold - will be split between BBC Children in Need and the Evening Star's Lifesaver Appeal which is raising money for a new cardiac ultrasound machine for Ipswich Hospital.

The ultrasound machine will help around 1,000 people every year. It quickly helps doctors diagnose acute cardiac conditions including heart failure.

It is going to cost £22,000 and we aim to reach that target by mid January next year.