Raising funds for SANE
Welsh singer/ songwriter Judith Owen and her actor/ humourist husband Harry Shearer have combined their talents to recreate the Spinal Tap classic ‘Christmas With The Devil.’ Alongside this, Judith will be releasing ‘The Dancing Tree’, accompanied on cello by Gabriella Swallow, in which she sings of the things that really matter at Christmas time. “Maybe the most beautiful, moving Christmas song ever, played and sung with restrained yet unmistakeable emotion,” says Harry.
Says Judith of the tracks, “These two songs represent the two sides of Christmas, the joy and the bitter-sweet nostalgia, the light and the dark. They couldn’t be more opposite but both mean Christmas to me. The jazzed up Spinal Tap classic that Harry and I try to sing straight-faced (and was the first song we ever collaborated on and which we still perform at every Christmas show).”
“We always hear about what holiday time is like for Santa and his elves. But what’s going on around that time with the Supreme Evil One?” adds Harry. “This song fills that much-needed void and swings as well.”
Speaking about ‘The Dancing Tree’ Judith explains “It’s the free things like decorating the tree with your mother, as I did as a little girl. We all get so lost in the commercial aspect of the day, but it’s the simplest of pleasures that we remember and hopefully pass on from generation to generation. I love singing this song, because it’s honest and true and it makes people cry…in a good way!
Judith and Harry will be performing their well-known Christmas sing-a-long shows around the US starting on December 5th and finishing on December 18th. Proceeds from the digital single will be donated to mental health charity SANE.
SANE was established in 1986 to improve the quality of life for people affected by mental illness. SANE’s vision has remained consistent throughout its twenty five year history: to raise public awareness, excite research, and bring more effective professional treatment and compassionate care to everyone affected by mental illness.
“I’m glad we get to raise some money for mental health organisations via these songs and our annual Christmas shows,” says Judith. “It’s a time when a lot of people struggle and feel even more overwhelmed by the pressures to be “seasonal”. I certainly do every year, just like my mother. It takes a lot of humour and humanity to get through. I hope these songs and our equally reverent and irreverent shows help in some small way to touch on and connect with that.”
With two contrasting singles, the musical and comedic duo have covered all bases when it comes to celebrating Christmas through song.
Artist’s website: www.judithowen.net
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