Charity carol CD goes from strength to strength
The acclaimed Shetland Christmas compilation CD, released in November 2008, has now sold an amazing 70,000 copies with plans for further sales next year.
The idea came about fter The Beacon Music Trust approached local musician Freda Leask to assist co-ordination of the project.
The Scottish-based trust’s idea was simple. It wanted to create a CD of best-loved Christmas carols in a stripped-down, acoustic, contemporary manner. Over 20 well-known Shetland musicians and recording engineers became involved in the quality production. The main focus has been distribution rather than the money-making aspect and the unusual packaging as a quality Christmas card, designed by Alloa-based artist and Shetlander Mandy Tait, ensured the album’s circulation world-wide.
The CD/cards were sold at a very competitive 50p each, thus ensuring high sales and wide distribution.
The album has had airplay on local and national radio and has received various reviews in articles on the web. It featured as album of the week on the popular Ian Anderson’s late night programme and has led to interviews, spin-off sales and further PR for some of the participating artistes.
A thousand copies were sold locally this year, bringing the Shetland total to 7,500, and profits from these latest sales will go to the CLAN 1,2,3 appeal. The CD/cards were sold by Clive’s Record Shop, High Level Music, the Cunningsburgh shop, the Christian Bookshop, the CLAN charity shop, Sound Service Station, Emmanuel Christian Fellowship and the Scalloway Shop. Local musicians involved in the project were Shoorma (Joyce McDill, Freda Leask, Donna Smith, Gregg Arthur, Trevor Smith, Jonathan Ritch and Gordon Tulloch), Sheila Henderson, Eunice Henderson, Erin Sandison, Jillian Isbister, May and Mackie Sutherland, Rhonda Simpson, Jenny Keldie, Mandy Tait, Fred Polson, Dana Watt, JJ Jamieson and Brian Nicholson.
