Music Technology and Media students at Newbury College have brought a classic Christmas number one to life for a new generation, with a lovingly crafted cover of Shakin’ Stevens’ 1985 hit Merry Christmas Everyone.
Written by Bob Heatlie and first produced by Dave Edmunds, the original track topped the UK charts as the Christmas number one single in 1985 and has remained a seasonal favourite ever since.
This new version has been recorded and produced by students on the Newbury College Music Technology programmes and is now available to stream on the College’s SoundCloud channel, with a festive music video released on YouTube.
The project showcases the College’s hands-on, industry-focused approach to creative education and the collaborative spirit that runs across its creative arts and digital media programmes.
The track features a diverse range of student (and staff) talent, including Iman Wallace on vocals, Elliott Taylor on keys and Nthando Gwavava on drums, while other students worked on technical elements of the mixing and production process.
Principal, Lee Probert, and Deputy Principal, Lee Jamieson, made cameo performances on the track, turning the boardroom into a recording studio to support the students’ work. Their involvement reflects their commitment to championing the College’s Super 7 approach to teaching, learning and assessment, which focuses on seven core principles that help students become confident, independent learners ready for their chosen careers.
Deputy Principal Lee Jamieson (left) and Principal Lee Probert (right) strike a different chord in the boardroom.
The project has been designed to give students the professional knowledge and skills needed for a career in music, whether they move into employment or higher education. Instead of learning about music only from a classroom or textbook, students work on live briefs and technical projects that mirror real industry practice. These include planning sessions, arranging and rehearsing, setting up microphones, capturing live performances, editing, mixing and mastering, and then releasing the final track on public platforms. This blend of analogue performance and digital production is at the heart of modern music-making and prepares students for a sector where technical skills and creativity go hand in hand.
Course Leader for Music Technology, Matt Foster, said:
“Merry Christmas Everyone is one of those songs that instantly takes you back. The original Shakin’ Stevens version is a perfect slice of 1980s festive pop and it defined Christmas for a whole generation long before our current students were born.
“What has been so rewarding is watching the students study that original arrangement in detail and then find their own way of honouring it. They have kept the warmth, fun and sing-along feel that people love but made production and performance choices that feel current and true to them.
“They have taken real care over every element because they know they are working with a song that means a lot to people. I hope that if Shaky hears our version, he will be able to hear the respect, the craft and the joy that the students have put into it.”
The audio project has also provided an authentic brief for students on the T Level in Media, Broadcast and Production, who have created a music video to accompany the track. Working closely with the Music Technology students, the T Level learners planned and captured performances and carried out the editing and post-production needed for a polished final video.
This cross-curriculum collaboration reflects Newbury College’s Careers, not courses ethos, helping students understand how different creative disciplines connect in the real world and how teamwork underpins successful projects in the creative arts and media industries.
Newbury College’s Music Technology and Media programmes are part of a creative arts and digital offer that helps young people develop the technical skills, confidence and professional behaviours needed to become highly desirable talent in the creative industries, both locally and beyond.
To find out more about Newbury College’s Careers, not courses approach to curriculum, and how live briefs and technical projects prepare students for the world of work, visit newbury-college.ac.uk/careersnotcourses