Killian Donnelly, Alistair Brammer, Harriet Thorpe & Gerónimo Rauch + more feature on MAD Trust Christmas album

Harriet Thorpe

Auburn Jam Records are preparing to release The West End Goes MAD For Christmas later this month. 

The compilation album will feature Christmas songs by new writers, performed by West End stars. 

The West End Goes MAD For Christmas is officially released on 30th November to coincide with MAD Trust’s annual fundraiser, ‘A West End Christmas’, at St Paul’s (The Actor’s Church), Covent Garden. CDs, priced at £10, are available to pre-order now via both the MAD Trust and Auburn Jam Music websites.

Tracks include:

• Together We Can Make It – Killian Donnelly & the cast of Les Misérables; written by Felix Hagan
• Home – Alistair Brammer; written by Gus Gowland & Alistair Brammer 
• I Love Christmas – Chloe Hart; from The Bakewell Bake Off written by The Baking Committee
• This Christmas – written & performed by Stuart Matthew Price
• Reindeer Wives – Harriet Thorpe, Christopher Howell & Sophie Isaacs; written by Anderson & Petty
• A Soldier’s Christmas – Gerónimo Rauch & Nadim Naaman; written by Nadim Naaman
• raying For You – Gina Beck; written by Alexander Bermange
• The Little Match Girl – Janie Dee; written by Tim Connor

Nikki & Joe Davison are the husband & wife team behind Auburn Jam Music production & recording studio, & accompanying label Auburn Jam Records. Discussing the album they said:

"This year is the 5th anniversary of our studio, so we wanted to do something special to celebrate, and raise some money for the brilliant work that The Make A Difference Trust do at the same time. We have had the privilege of working with some fantastic up-and-coming new musical theatre writers, as well as talented West End performers and singer-songwriters to produce albums and original cast & concept recordings over the past five years, so it seemed like the perfect celebration to do a Christmas album of new songs! The album is very eclectic, there’s rock, pop, classical, comedy… definitely something for everyone!

"We’re so grateful to all the writers and singers involved for giving their talents so willingly; to Kate Scott for her album photography which has really captured the festive spirit of the recording sessions; to Darryl Carpenter for his beautiful illustrations for the album artwork; and also to Mandy Wheeler & Rob Ottey at Cameron Mackintosh LTD for co-ordinating us recording the Les Misérables cast at the Queen’s Theatre, which was a day to remember! Thank you all!"

A donation from each album sale will go to the charity. Pre-ordered CDs will be dispatched on Friday 28th November, or available to collect at ‘A West End Christmas’ on Sunday 30th November. The CD will come with a lyric booklet including behind-the-scenes photos by Kate Scott of the recording sessions, and beautiful illustrations by artist Darryl Carpenter. 

The album will also be available to download via all major online retailers, including iTunes & Amazon MP3 from Sunday 30th November.

Photo Credit 1: Kate Scott