Phil Cunningham’s online Christmas Songbook

Christmas Songbook
Photograph by Sean Purser

To bring on the Christmas cheer after what has been a tough year for everyone, the Phil Cunningham Christmas Songbook team have come together to record two online Christmas concerts.

Tickets are now on sale for the premieres taking place on Saturday 19th and Wednesday 23rd December. Once the premieres have aired, both concerts will still be available to buy and watch right up until the 27th December, ensuring it can be the perfect background to the whole festive season! Tickets are available to buy here.

When Phil and the Christmas Songbook band realised that the usual shows weren’t going to able to go ahead in their usual format this year, and recognising that the concert has been an essential part of people’s festive season for the last 14 years, they put their heads as close together as restrictions would allow and came up with a plan to keep the festive cheer alive.

The cast was assembled in full, a safe venue was sourced (big enough to safely hold a film crew to capture the magic) and the music began. The joy of playing together after all this time was hard to hide and they sang and played their hearts out for 6 hours! From that day’s recording, they have assembled two live 1 hour shows.

Anyone who’s ever attended a Christmas Songbook knows it is an exceptional night of heart-warming entertainment from some of Scotland’s best-known and best-loved musicians and this year’s online concert will be no different with the annual star-studded line-up having gathered together once again to ensure they don’t lose any of that special Christmas spark. With the inimitable Phil Cunningham leading the evening alongside Eddi Reader, Karen Matheson, John McCusker, Kris Drever, Ian Carr and Kevin McGuire.

Bursting with jovial anecdotes, an unfaltering mix of modern and traditional music alongside exquisite musicianship, the Christmas Songbook is undoubtedly the perfect way for the whole family to get into the festive spirit this Christmas.

Phil Cunningham said: “We were all devastated when the realisation came that we wouldn’t be able to tour the Christmas Songbook this year, it has become such a huge part of all of our festive seasons! As soon as the idea came to me to record an online concert, I knew only the best was going to be good enough, so I jumped on the phone to my old friend John Smith (one of the best live TV directors anywhere) and we came up with a plan to get things underway to record two top-quality shows!

“Although we’re sad not to be in your company this year, we are delighted to have been able to put these two concerts together and we hope you will enjoy singing along in the comfort of your own home. We will be thinking of you and raising a glass to you wherever you are in the world! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and here’s to a better New Year!”

Phil’s Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook Volume 1 will be premiered on Saturday 19th December at 7pm GMT. Phil Cunningham’s Christmas Songbook Volume 2 will be premiered on Wednesday 23rd December at 7pm GMT. Once the premieres have been aired, individuals can buy both concerts and watch them as many times as you like right up until the 27th December.

Tickets are available to buy here https://myplayer.uk/philschristmassongbook

‘God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’: