A GUITAR teacher from Wrexham has teamed up with school kids to create a Christmas charity single.

Every year, Dale Irving comes up with another idea to support a good cause through the power of music.

In 2020, he raised funds for the Unbeatable Eva campaign in honour of Eva Williams, of Marford, who was diagnosed with an incurable high-grade diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

Last Christmas, Dale helped raise over £1,000 for Wrexham Foodbank with the help of Osian Jones who wrote a song about his late father.

This year, he's joined forces with children at Borras Park Primary School to release a single called 'Open Your Heart' in aid of Nightingale House Hospice.

Read more: AVOW's appeal to community groups to support warm spaces this winter

Dale said: "Every year the projects have got a bit better from experience. This year I decided to write a couple of original songs. The first song I wrote was "One Life", which is also on the EP, and the second is "Open Your Heart".

"I never intended to write a Christmas song, but when I started coming up with lyrics, "this Christmas time" popped into my head. The more the song developed, I started to think that having children sing the end chorus would be really cool. 

"Once I'd written the songs musically and lyrically, I used my own money to work with some session musicians for the drums, bass and lead vocals. I play guitar, keyboard and backing vocals on the songs. Anyway, after they sent me their parts I'd mix them in with my guitar."

Dale says the biggest task was recording 30 plus children and mixing them into the track - he visited Borras Park Primary to record them all one by one singing the chorus. 

The other children who sing on the track are guitar students of Dale's, as well as some of his friends' kids who wanted to take part.

Dale added: "There are around 40 kids on the track in total. The song has turned out even better than I imagined and that’s thanks to the children and the other musicians who took part.

"All the proceeds will go to Nightingale House. They’re a fantastic local charity who do amazing work for families in difficult circumstances.

"I hope everyone will give this song a listen and download it as a lot of work has gone into this project. It’s a song that will put a smile on your face, you can win some great prizes and ultimately raise money that will help Nightingale House continue their great work. It's Wrexham's very own Christmas song!"

A spokesperson for the Borras Park Primary said: "It was a pleasure to be asked by Dale to be involved with the charity song, especially with it being for such a fantastic cause.

"The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being recorded and sang their hearts out. As a school we are very proud of them and hope that the single can reach the £1,000 target."

The single can be downloaded at www.daleirving.bandcamp.com, with all proceeds going to Nightingale House - with nearly £600 being raised so far.