A talented musician from Alderley Edge School for Girls has composed a Christmas song to raise funds for a school in Kenya.
Six Form student Amy Francis has composed the lyrics and music for "So Nearly Christmas", with the help of Neil Shaw-Hulme, Head of Technical Music.
She has also organised a charity concert to raise as much money as possible to rebuild the Gitare Primary School in Kenya.
Many local schools were invited to participate and five schools have joined forces with AESG. Hale Preparatory School, Bowdon Preparatory School, Forest Preparatory School, and Greenbank Preparatory School in addition to the Alderley Edge School for Girls Show Band and Junior School are recorded on the single and will perform at tomorrow's concert.
Approximately 225 children from all schools are going to perform in the concert and slightly more were recorded on the single which is being released on Wednesday, 23rd November.
'So Nearly Christmas' is a children's Christmas song about the traditional preparations and excitement before Christmas and the hope for world love and peace.
The single will be available to purchase at the special concert and a live version of the single, that will be recorded at the concert, will be available to purchase from iTunes shortly after the concert.
Amy, 17, is studying A levels in Physics, Chemistry and Further Maths as well as taking a Diploma in Music. She is applying to study Physics at university and in her spare time she is an avid musician. Amy plays both alto and soprano saxophone and piano. Last year she studied Music Technology A level 'just for fun' and she is a junior member of the Royal North College of Music which she attend at weekends.
In July 2012 Amy is taking part in an expedition with 20 staff and pupils from the school to help rebuild Gitare Primary School in Kenya.
Amy said "We need to raise considerable funds for the rebuilding project and, as a musician, I had the idea of organising a fund raising concert.
"What started as a small concert has gradually grown into an event involving nearly 250 performers with a specially composed Christmas song. The aim and focus of the concert is to raise as much money as possible for the Gitare school project."
Whilst travelling to Venice by coach in July, for a seven day school music tour, Amy spent the journey with Neil Shaw-Hulme, her saxophone teacher, composing the lyrics and music for "So Nearly Christmas", which she planned to record with the school Show Band and sell at the concert.
Amy explained "By the time we returned from Venice the song was written and I was turning my thoughts to maximizing the number of people in the audience at the concert - so I approached my Head Teacher with the idea of inviting four local junior school choirs to join our own junior school choir to perform at a large concert.
"I spent the first part of my October half term visiting each junior school to record each choir. I have then had the five recordings mixed and professionally produced as one combined choir singing on the CD. AESG Show Band are performing the song on the CD, including myself on saxophone and my younger sister on drums which I recorded at home in our dining room!"
Amy added "Ideally in the future, I would like to think that the "So Nearly Christmas" Charity Concert would be become an annual event raising funds for a variety of charities over the years."
The 'So Nearly Christmas' Concert is taking place on Wednesday, 23rd November, at Alderley Edge School for Girls from 6.45pm to approximately 9pm. Six hundred people are expected to attend the concert in the Millennium Hall.
Tickets, payable on the door, are £6.00 for adults and £4.00 for concessions, including refreshments.
