In a Christmas twist students took charge at Latymer Upper School when they recorded their teachers performing festive classics for an album released today (December 11).
A total of 30 staff members from the Hammersmith school performed holiday classics such as Do They Know It’s Christmas?, Fairytale of New York and Santa Baby.
Headmaster Mr Goodhew also recorded a spoken version of Twas the Night Before Christmas as a bonus track, and the maths department tried their hand at East 17’s winter classic Stay Another Day.
Students took care of the production, marketing, artwork, design, sales and promotion of the finished product, and were selling their release in the playground today.
The project is part of the school’s own record label 32 Bit, which began two years ago when students asked to learn about the production side of music education.
Patrick Drumm, music teacher and conductor of the staff choir, said: “The kids came up with the idea of the staff doing the Christmas release. The only requisite for teachers was enthusiasm. It was interesting to work with them and they were more than willing to help out.”
Though Mr Drumm was technically under the direction of his students, he says there was no hierarchy and everyone got involved, with jobs shared out between the participants.
“The students came to me about this project two years ago after they had written a whole load of songs," he added. "We started with 32 members and there are now over 40 students taking part. The kids are very excited and enthusiastic about the release.”
The Latymer Upper School Staff Christmas CD can be purchased for £5 by e-mailing the school on pmd@latymer-upper.org . All profits from the CD will go to Latymer Upper School’s Annual Fund and its chosen charity, Musequality.
To hear sound bites from the album visit 32 Bit Recording on Soundcloud.com .
