Christmas single by Shoreham father-of-three raises funds for school

A Shoreham musician has released a Christmas single inspired by his experiences as a father-of-three to help raise funds for his daughters' school.
Tom Walker and his daughters who helped sing on his Christmas singleTom Walker and his daughters who helped sing on his Christmas single
Tom Walker and his daughters who helped sing on his Christmas single

Tom Walker will donate all profits from the download sales of First Christmas With You to Shoreham Beach Primary School in Shingle Road, which his daughters Ellie, nine, Bonnie, five, and Cassidy, four, attend.

Mr Walker said he never thought he would write a Christmas song, but explained: “When I write a new song I always play it to the kids first, they’re very honest critics and will tell me if they don’t think it’s very good and usually it turns out they’re right!

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“A couple of weeks ago, as the Christmas songs started coming on the TV and radio, my eldest daughter asked me if I thought I was able to write a Christmas song so I took that as a challenge.

“I spent about a week writing and rewriting until I was happy with it, then I played it to her and luckily, she liked it.”

Mr Walker, who is known for performing his country-style music at venues across the area including the Tap House in Shoreham and the Egremont in Worthing, played all the instruments on the track himself and said he worked hard to capture the ‘warm feeling’ of a festive melody.

He recorded the song at the studio in his Shoreham Beach home.

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Of the song’s title, he said: “Probably the first thing that springs to mind is a love song, but it’s the first Christmas with a new baby and all the feelings that come with that.”

The lyrics are inspired by memories of his daughters at Christmas, including them being more interested in the box their presents came in than the gifts themselves.

Children made Christmas all the more special, he said, adding: “As you become an adult, until you have children, you lose the point of it in some ways. Then you have children and it all makes sense again.”

For the first time, Ellie and Bonnie both sang on the track and Mr Walker said: “They loved it, they are pestering me to do more.”

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Mr Walker hopes the song can contribute to the flurry of festive fundraising underway at the school, where he helps teach guitar lessons to year five pupils once a week.

He hopes pupils in the class will hear the track and said: “It might inspire some of the kids to take it a bit further.”

To download the track for £2 visit www.tomwalkermusic.com