He rose to fame during the Eighties as the dulcet-toned choirboy who captivated millions with his emotive version of We're Walking In The Air, the theme tune for animated adventure The Snowman. And now Aled Jones is back with a very special festive mission.
The Welsh singer has launched a campaign to promote Christmas carol singing, after a national study revealed that 77 per cent of people can't remember half the words to a single song.
"It's pretty frightening," says 36-year-old Aled. "I thought people all over Britain got involved with singing carols every Christmas, but numbers are waning. Especially with the 16-24 age bracket - they would rather listen to Eminem to get into the Christmas spirit."
In order to put the cool back into Christmas, the classical star is assembling modern versions of old classics like Silent Night. "If we need to modernise them to capture the attention of a new generation, then adding a jazz, funk or even a beat boxing slant to them will ensure this wonderful tradition," he says.
And Aled isn't the only one helping give a vocal tone to the holidays. Spice Girl Mel B and former EastEnders actress Martine McCutcheon led a charity sing-a-long in London this week in aid of children's charity Make A Wish Foundation.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
