AN OTLEY teenager is aiming to spread festive joy by releasing a fundraising single for Save the Children.
Where Are You Christmas? has been produced by 19 year old Emeli Mumford to raise money for the charity, which has fully endorsed the song.
Emeli recruited more than 70 pupils - aged from two to 11 - from Ghyll Royd School and Pre-School in Burley-in-Wharfedale, where she is currently working, to sing with her.
They are now all busy rehearsing for the single's release on Thursday, December 10.
This will be the second festive fundraising song that Emeli, who is a seasoned singer and performer, has produced. Her first, in 2018, was called Dear Santa and raised more than £2,500 for Save the Children.
She said: "After the year everyone’s had I really felt I wanted to cheer everyone up and bring some festive cheer this Christmas, so I got thinking.
"Then I came up with the idea for another Christmas song!
"It wasn’t hard to find the time to write it as, like everyone else, I’ve been in and out of lockdowns and isolation periods so it didn’t take long at all.
"I felt compelled to choose Save the Children as the charity I wanted to support again as I admire the work they do so much.
"After hearing what the revenue from my last Christmas song paid for, and remembering how proud and accomplished I felt, I knew I wanted to do it again.
"I love giving back and have loved creating the song and rehearsing with the children - it’s so nice to give them this experience and see them so excited."
Emeli, who has been a finalist in a number of high profile talent competitions, was presented with and Otley Achievement Award last year in recognition of her work for charity.
The proceeds from Dear Santa helped Save the Children provide an ambulance in Syria for a month, make classrooms in the same country winter-ready, and fund teaching provision and teacher training for a school in Rwanda.
Where Are You Christmas? can be downloaded, from December 10, from Bandcamp at https://emelimumford.bandcamp.com/track/where-are-you-christmas for £5.
The single will also be available from all major online platforms including Spotify, Deezer, Amazon music, Google Play music, iTunes, Apple Music and VEVO and will be supported by a professionally shot music video on YouTube.
Save the Children supports young carers, refugees, children in care, children in poverty, parents, and children suffering from traumatic events - such as the Manchester Arena bombings - around the world.
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