Christmas cover strikes chord with donors

An English-language radio station is helping raise funds for a worthy cause after recording its own version of a rocky Christmas hit.

The ARA City Radio cover of Slade's Merry Christmas may not be hitting all the right notes on the music score but it is striking a chord with generous listeners whose donations go directly to children's cancer charity the Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner.

The classic tune, which was first recorded for Christmas 1973, has been given a new life thanks to the news reader Mark Weedon's clever reworking of the lyrics.

Instead of Red-nosed reindeer and Santa's penchant for a tipple, the new song by the ARA City team makes numerous references to Luxembourg, including winter tyres and a taste for the winter market's gluhwein. Even cycling hero Andy Schleck gets a mention, along with gorging on gromperekichelcher potato cakes and sledging in the Grund.

ARA City managing director Lisa McLean told wort.lu/en: “I love it! It's a bit of fun. I think the day you realise you can't laugh at yourself anymore is the day you've been in Luxembourg for too long. Everyone should take it for what it is. It's ARA City Radio and we do things differently.”

Recorded in a studio belonging to friends of ARA City, DJs, newsreaders and presenters Mark Weedon, Lisa McLean, Tara James, Sam Steen and Sara Flanagan had only the car journey in which to practice the song.

As such, they admit, the recording is a bit rough around the edges. But, the aim was never to sell copies, rather to encourage direct donations from the public to the Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kannerin. Lisa said: “We don't actually sell it. The reality is who would buy it? We play it and ask people to donate to the charity.”

This is the second time that the ARA City team has recorded a cover of a Christmas song for the Luxembourg-based charity, which supports cancer-sick children and their families. Lisa explained: “It's a great charity. I got involved with them because two of my kids were really sick a few years ago with SARS syndrome. My son was at the hospital so long he went to the school there where he was taught alongside children who had cancer. My son then recovered and left the hospital. But, a few weeks later, the school got in touch to say that the children had been invited to Euro Disney and asked did my son want to go too? So he went with them. Then, two years ago, on graduation day, my son let his friends shave his head to raise money for the Fondatioun Kriibskrank Kanner because he remembered how they had helped him. He ended up raising 3,000 euros for the charity.”

Last year ARA's version of a Fairy Tale of New York helped to raise more than 3,500 euros for the charity. This year, the team hopes to top that record. To hear the tune, click on the link below.