THE choir from a Cwmbran school part-destroyed by a fire in the early hours of New Year’s Day will feature alongside choirmaster Gareth Malone on a forthcoming Christmas album.

In the aftermath of the blaze, which ravaged the infant and nursery block at Coed Eva Primary School, a community choir was set up, creating the song ‘Believe’, written by Lyn Marsh.

On Tuesday morning, the choir welcomed Mr Malone to Cwmbran, who rehearsed with the children who will be adding their voices to two songs on his album ‘A Great British Christmas’.

“I heard the story about the school, or part of it, burning down but their response had been to sing and that struck me as the right response to come together following the fire,” he said, adding that he received a message from head teacher Gill Ellis earlier in the year.

“I thought that was exactly the community spirit and energy that I wanted on this album. Where else but in Wales could you find a school being part destroyed by a fire and their response is to create a choir.”

Under Mr Malone’s instruction, the choir will be singing parts of Dire Straits’ ‘Brothers in Arms’ and Chris de Burgh’s ‘A Spaceman Came Travelling’ alongside his professional choir – Voices – and the Invictus Choir.

“As I was singing the song during practice, I thought and realised that a lot of the words are very apt, for example baptisms of fire. They have been thought a very hard time and it’s a song with a hopeful message for humanity,” he said.

“The emotional wellbeing of the children is really important. It is a big shock to have such a safe environment like a school, something which the children go to each day, part destroyed in that way.”

Mr Malone praised the children in the choir during the rehearsal, and added that the aspect of children singing on the album would provide a perfect tone.

“I think that having children’s voices on it will create something wonderfully uplifting and optimistic,” he said.

Mrs Ellis, the school’s head teacher added: “Out of the devastation of the fire has come this amazing sense of community spirit while trying to maintain a sense of wellbeing.

“The children have been so excited that Gareth has come to their school. It’s an honour to have him here and I’ll get in trouble with the children if I don’t take him round to all the classes.”

A Great British Christmas will be released on Friday, December 2.