A consultant from the Great Western Hospital in Swindon is once again preparing to take on the Christmas music charts, a year after his debut festive single hit the top ten.
Dr Bill McCrea, Consultant Cardiologist, has reunited the Wiltshire Heart Throbs to release another record in a bid to bring Christmas cheer back to the nation’s airwaves and to push Brighter Futures’ Radiotherapy Appeal closer to the magic £2 million mark.
Christmas Night (Tryin’ to Get Home) tells the story of emergency services workers longing to be with their family over the festive period and follows the Heart Throbs’ previous single Yahweh Christmas Cheer, which made the top ten in Amazon’s folk chart last December.
This time around, the musical medic has pulled out all the stops, with Dr McCrea and co filming a music video to accompany the track; complete with blue lights, fire engines and even a cameo appearance from GWH’s Emergency Department.
Dr McCrea, who wrote and recorded the track with specialist heart nurse Harriet McCullough, said: “There was such a warm reception to our song last year, that it just seemed obvious to write and record another one for this Christmas.
“But we knew we couldn’t just repeat what we did last year, which is why we decided to make the video, so people all over the world could see and hear the Heart Throbs in action.
“Filming was a real joy – the emergency services work together all the time, but never normally in front of a camera or while wearing Christmas jumpers.
“From the production company Ottr Works to the brave souls who weren’t afraid to get in front of the camera, I was, and still am, very moved by all the support we have received over the last few weeks.
“I really hope this song not only delivers some festive cheer to those people who are working away from their familieis this Christmas, but also raises a shedload of money for Brighter Futures.”
As well being available to download from online music sites such as iTunes and Amazon, record collectors in Swindon can pick up a hard copy of the Christmas Night (Tryin’ to Get Home) from Holmes Music in Faringdon Road and the Amigo shop at the Great Western Hospital.
The single has been released alongside That’s Your Little Girl, another offering from the Wiltshire Heart Throbs.
Money raised through sales of both singles will go towards helping Brighter Futures, the registered charity of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, raise the £2.9 million needed to bring lifesaving cancer treatment to Swindon.
Currently, patients in Swindon and Wiltshire who need vital radiotherapy treatment face a lengthy daily round trip of more than 70 miles to Oxford, where the nearest radiotherapy centre is based.
Catherine Newman, Head of Brighter Futures, said: “We are thrilled to once again have the support of Dr McCrea and the Wiltshire Heart Throbs, especially at this most charitable time of year.
“The warming sounds of Bill and his guitar are fast becoming a staple of the Christmas season and I really hope this new record can help take our current total even higher.
“We’re within touching distance of £2 million and what a present it would be to reach that all-important milestone in time for Christmas.”
To view the video, visit the Trust’s YouTube channel and for more information about the Radiotherapy Appeal, visit www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk or follow the charity on Facebook.
