After beating Justin Bieber to the Christmas No. 1 last year, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir has signed a record deal with Universal Music imprint Decca Records.
The choir’s debut album, Something Inside So Strong, will be released on 27th May 2016 and is a collection of uplifting classics. The record deal means that the NHS Choir share the same label home as Justin Bieber, who publicly supported their song encouraging his fans to get them to number 1 over his own single.
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir is made up of around 30 members staff from right across the NHS workforce including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, porters, chaplains, administrators and many more.
Choir co-ordinator Caroline Smith, who works as a children’s physiotherapist, says, “I’m delighted to be able to represent and support the NHS with such a special album. When everyone comes together in the choir it’s really powerful, I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.”
The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust have directed that a minimum of £40,000 from the sale of the album are paid to its charitable funds, and will be used for the benefit of LGT patients and staff, to provide things that are not NHS provision but enhance patient experience or staff working lives – e.g. arts for health projects such as dance and singing groups for patients.
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir were first seen on Gareth Malone’s BBC2 show Sing While You Work, where they were narrowly beaten in the final.
Something Inside So Strong track listing:
1. (Something Inside) So Strong (Written by: Labi Siffre)
Soloist: Brenda Harrydass-Clark
2. Angel (Written by: Sarah McLachlan)
Soloist: Nora S Smith
3. A Bridge Over You (Written by: Paul Simon, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman)
Soloists: Dr Zoë Davies, Dr Chidi Ejimofo
4. And So It Goes (Written by: Billy Joel)
5. Lean On Me (Written by: Bill Withers)
Soloists: André Anthony Levy, Dr Chidi Ejimofo
6. The Seal Lullaby (Music by: Eric Whitacre)
7. You’ve Got A Friend (Written by: Carole King)
Soloists: Elem Nnachi, Errol Woodburn
8. Fields Of Gold (Written by: Gordon Sumner)
Soloist: Elizabeth Steele
9. Love Shine A Light (Written by: Kimberley Rew)
Soloists: Dr Zoë Davies, Emmet Masterson
10. Weeping (Written by: Dan Heymann, Peter Cohen, Ian Cohen, Tom Fox)
Soloist: Caroline Harbord
11. Thinking Out Loud (Written by: Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge)
Soloist: Petrina Pottinger
12. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive (Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer)
