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Even by my holly-loving, fairy-light adoring, Christmas crackers standards, the high streets started their aggressive Christmas onslaught rather early this year. However, as I assemble the ingredients to begin the 2014 Sinnerton Family Christmas Cake Bake, I have decided to simply embrace the coming of the festive period.

Don’t give me your bah humbug cries of ‘it’s not even December yet’ because I don’t care! From now until Epiphany my house will be a haven of gingerbread and mince pies. Some people diet for their summer holidays - I diet for the Christmas period so I can eat myself silly, safe in the knowledge that my concert clothes will still fit in the New Year.

Carolling has been a tradition since pagan times, when people would sing and dance carols in praise of the winter solstice. When the Christian church adopted December as the month in which to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, its leaders retained this tradition, seeing in it the vital unifying experience of people raising their voices together in song. Even Oliver Cromwell couldn’t make the tradition die and today, regardless of their religious perspective, I know few people who do not enjoy a Christmas sing-along.

There is something unique about a group of people raising their voices together in song. It is a verity that the Welsh are clearly acutely aware of, as the plethora of choirs around the country and the singing of Calon Lân or Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau at concerts and sporting events will attest to. There is a power in it, an inexpressible shared spirituality, a rising passion that makes one’s heart beat that little bit faster.

 This year, the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ are giving you the opportunity to join The One Show Virtual Carol Concert to create a chorus of massed voices from all across the United Kingdom, in a special performance of one of the great traditional Christmas carols, O Come All Ye Faithful. We recorded the backing track in ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Hoddinott Hall a few weeks ago - a rather unique experience for us, as we were working with a green screen onto which participant’s videos will be superimposed.

To take part in this project, simply go to  and follow the instructions. Practice well before you record and upload your video - we look forward to seeing the results of your endeavours!

The orchestra has a wide range of events coming up for the festive period – including our annual Christmas Celebrations concerts which this year take place in Cardiff, Swansea and Haverfordwest. While this may seem like a rather premature heads up, tickets for these events sell very quickly, so do not complain that I haven’t warned you!

So, as the Christmas season approaches, limber up your vocal chords, galvanise them with something warm and mulled, throw on your most ghastly Christmas jumper and join in the carolling fun. You have until Sunday 30 November to upload your video!

Visit   to upload your video and take part in The One Show Virtual Carol Concert. Entries close on Sunday 30 November. 

Find out more about ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ NOW’s Christmas concerts by visiting