Singing together reminds us we're part of something bigger

MARION McMULLEN DISCOVERS WHY THE EX-TEACHER AND TIKTOK SENSATION IS TAKING HIS CHRISTMAS ASSEMBLY ON TOUR

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Singing together reminds us we're part of something bigger.

I’ve seen it firsthand in care homes. I've sung hymns, folk songs, even wartime tunes with people who have dementia. And even if they don’t remember what they had for breakfast, the lyrics of childhood songs are still there. Music lights up something in the brain. It’s a bit of hope in a dark tunnel. That’s why I think hymns, and songs we grew up with, will always carry that spark of hope.

What has inspired the tour?

Some of my best childhood memories are of singing in the school choir, going around care homes at Christmas, or being part of the big carol service. I’m trying to recreate that magic now - that feeling of joy and togetherness that comes from communal singing.

You have appeared on TV shows such as BBC Breakfast and The One Show and with Gareth Malone's Voices at the Royal Variety Show. What does community singing mean to you?

Singing together creates a positive, hopeful experience. That sense of community is powerful, especially today, when so much of our lives happen online and society feels more divided.

You have gone from school classrooms to some of the UK’s biggest stages and provided vocals for everyone from Sir Paul McCartney to The Rolling Stones. Where will the Christmas Assembly Tour take you?