Mal Pope and Steve Balsamo lead star-studded music video for ‘Everyone Deserves a Christmas’ campaign

Star-studded music video of ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ released for latest ‘Everyone Deserves a Christmas’ campaign

This reimagining of the classic Christmas Carol features a duet between, Mal Pope and Steve Balsamo, with support from Harry’s Youth Theatre Choir Swansea and the Morriston Salvation Army Band.

The video starts with a spine chilling opening monologue from BAFTA winner Michael Sheen and ends with a special message from OSCAR Winner Catherine Zeta Jones. The video also features appearances from Davina McCall, Max Boyce, Elis James, Penny Lancaster and Bonnie Tyler.

The video was Art Directed by BAFTA Award winning Production Designer Edward Thomas, recently returned to Swansea following a year in Malta designing a new Steven Spielberg Film.

The single is taken from the album ‘Christmas with the Pope’ and is available to stream and download from all streaming sites including Spotify, iTunes and Amazon Music. The physical CD will be available from select shops or via mail order.

As well as inviting everyone to download and stream the single the video is available free of charge to groups to use over the festive period and asking for donations to be made to the group’s Just Giving page

Everyone Deserves a Christmas

The annual ‘Everyone Deserves a Christmas’ campaign provides festive cheer for people who need a helping hand in the local community.

Individuals and businesses from across Swansea and beyond work together to raise funds that are used to purchase food for hampers and Christmas dinners. These are then delivered to families across the city to ensure that nobody goes without at Christmas-time. 

“When everyone else was pushing the boat out I was worried about just feeding my family, so didn’t feel like I was part of Christmas”, said Leanne. The campaign says that at Christmas, no-one should be worried like Leanne.

This year, with community help, the campaign aim to create over 700 food hampers full of staples like cheese, meat, and vegetables, and added goodies like pudding, chocolate and crackers. A large team of volunteers will purchase, pack and deliver the hampers in the days before Christmas. There will also be cooked dinners delivered on Christmas Eve to people across the city who are on their own or vulnerable, as well treats for local children.

Swansea City AFC Foundation and the Ospreys in the Community are working with Carolyn Harris MP, Julie James MS, South Wales Evening Post, Swansea Council, Bay Studios, Amazon and very many local businesses, to make this happen.

The campaign say that Christmas should be a time of joy and of giving. By working together, we can ensure that everyone has the joyful Christmas they deserve.

What started a few years ago with a few friends packing hampers on Carolyn Harris’ kitchen table has now developed into a city wide celebration of Christmas spirit and this year it is hoped that up to 1000 households will benefit from the campaign.

Carolyn Harris MP was recently named Campaigner of the Year at the Spectator Parliamentarian of The Year Awards.