More than 17,000 people sang together to set a new world record for simultaneous carolling, including a group from an Oldham Church.
Parishioners from the Greenacres Congregational Church in Oldham, were among the thousands all across the UK who joined together to beat the previous record of 15,000, which was set in 2009 by Disney. That attempt was lead by Andrea Bocelli and the choir of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and it was also made in Britain.
Along with their fellow singers, the Oldham group had to sing in synchrony for 15 minutes, with no one forgetting the words, and no breaks. The carols were old favourites, including “Oh Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Away in a Manger”, “Silent Night” and “O Come All Ye Faithful”.
The event was organised by Premier Christian Radio. The Guiness Book of Records, which decides whether a record is official, has yet to make a final decision on the attempt.
Greenacres Congregational Church is one of Oldham’s oldest “non-conformist” churches, tracing their roots back to 1662. They have been involved in Oldham’s community life for centuries. They were joined by choirs from all corners of the country, including Scotland, Cornwall, Wales and many towns in between. There was even a choir from the Swiss city of Geneva taking part.
The Rev Neil Chappell of Oldham’s Greenacres Congregational Church said that he hoped the record, which caused a far greater turnout than usual, would encourage people to consider the true meaning of Christmas. Confirmation of the record is expected in the coming months.