St Winifred's School Choir
Encyclopedia
St Winifred's School Choir, from St Winifred's Roman Catholic Primary School
in Stockport
, United Kingdom
, was a choir
of children whose single
in 1980 became the British Christmas number one single
of that year. The song was entitled "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
", and it spent two weeks at number one
, and eleven weeks in the UK Singles Chart
in total. The lead vocal was provided by Dawn Ralph
. The song was composed by award-winning record producer Gordon Lorenz
. During the late 1970s and the 1980s, the choir were trained and conducted by Miss Terri Foley. It was the Music for Pleasure
record label's only UK No. 1 single.
The choir had been recording since 1972, when Terri Foley played the guitar with the choir and the conductor was a Miss Olive Moore.
Previously they had also been recorded as the backing vocalist
s in another eventual number one song entitled "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" by Brian and Michael
, which concerned the paintings of L. S. Lowry
. In 1982, the choir released a Christmas album, called Christmas for Everyone, while the album Children's Party Time featured 32 arrangements, including ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo".
One of the children, Sally Lindsay
, who appeared on television
in the 1980 recording, has gone on to become a star in her own right. She is an actress and has appeared in the ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
.
Jennifer Hennessy
, who also featured in the "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" recording, is now a television
actress and has appeared in the BBC
drama
Doctor Who
and the BBC
comedy
The Office
. Christine Cheetham and Diana Dyer - two other former pupils who sang with the choir - featured in the Identity Parade line-up on an autumn 1998 edition of BBC panel game, Never Mind the Buzzcocks
.
In November 2009, fourteen of the original choir members reunited to record a new version of "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
" in association with Innocent Drinks to raise money for the Age Concern
charity.
St Winifred's Roman Catholic Primary School
St Winifred's Roman Catholic Primary School is a Roman Catholic primary school. Opened in 1936, the British school is a part of the Parish of Saint Winifred with Saint Mary in Heaton Mersey, Stockport, England; part of the Diocese of Salford....
in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, was a choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
of children whose single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1980 became the British Christmas number one single
Christmas number one single
The Christmas number one single is a single that reaches number one on the national pop music charts in the week immediately prior to Christmas. It is primarily a pop culture phenomenon in the United Kingdom and in the neighboring Republic of Ireland....
of that year. The song was entitled "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
"There's No One Quite Like Grandma" was a number one hit single by Stockport-based primary school choir St Winifred's School Choir from 27 December 1980 to 3 January 1981. It was written by Gordon Lorenz....
", and it spent two weeks at number one
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and eleven weeks in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in total. The lead vocal was provided by Dawn Ralph
Dawn Ralph
Dawn Ralph is mostly known as the young female soloist who sang on "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma" by St Winifred's School Choir. The song was a Christmas number one in the UK charts in 1980....
. The song was composed by award-winning record producer Gordon Lorenz
Gordon Lorenz
Gordon Lorenz , was an English songwriter and record producer, who made his fame by writing the UK Christmas number one hit "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma" for St Winifred’s School Choir...
. During the late 1970s and the 1980s, the choir were trained and conducted by Miss Terri Foley. It was the Music for Pleasure
Music for Pleasure (record label)
Music for Pleasure was a record label that issued budget-priced albums of popular and classical music, although the latter were marketed under the Classics for Pleasure name...
record label's only UK No. 1 single.
The choir had been recording since 1972, when Terri Foley played the guitar with the choir and the conductor was a Miss Olive Moore.
Previously they had also been recorded as the backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s in another eventual number one song entitled "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs" by Brian and Michael
Brian and Michael
Brian & Michael are a British music duo best known for their 1978 UK number one hit single, "Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs". Without further chart entries, they remain one-hit wonders in the UK...
, which concerned the paintings of L. S. Lowry
L. S. Lowry
Laurence Stephen Lowry was an English artist born in Barrett Street, Stretford, Lancashire. Many of his drawings and paintings depict nearby Salford and surrounding areas, including Pendlebury, where he lived and worked for over 40 years at 117 Station Road , opposite St...
. In 1982, the choir released a Christmas album, called Christmas for Everyone, while the album Children's Party Time featured 32 arrangements, including ABBA's "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo".
One of the children, Sally Lindsay
Sally Lindsay
Sally Lindsay is an English actress best known for playing the role of Shelley Unwin in the long-running ITV1 Soap opera Coronation Street...
, who appeared on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the 1980 recording, has gone on to become a star in her own right. She is an actress and has appeared in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
.
Jennifer Hennessy
Jennifer Hennessy
Jennifer Hennessy is a British actress best known for playing Mrs Brazendale in the BBC TV series Lilies.She trained for three years at the Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating in 1992...
, who also featured in the "There's No One Quite Like Grandma" recording, is now a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actress and has appeared in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
The Office
The Office
The Office is a popular mockumentary/situation comedy TV show that was first made in the UK and has now been re-made in many other countries, with overall viewership in the hundreds of millions worldwide. The original version of The Office was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It...
. Christine Cheetham and Diana Dyer - two other former pupils who sang with the choir - featured in the Identity Parade line-up on an autumn 1998 edition of BBC panel game, Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
.
In November 2009, fourteen of the original choir members reunited to record a new version of "There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
There's No-one Quite Like Grandma
"There's No One Quite Like Grandma" was a number one hit single by Stockport-based primary school choir St Winifred's School Choir from 27 December 1980 to 3 January 1981. It was written by Gordon Lorenz....
" in association with Innocent Drinks to raise money for the Age Concern
Age Concern
Age Concern was the banner title used by a number of charitable organisations specifically concerned with the needs and interests of all older people based chiefly in the four countries of the United Kingdom....
charity.
External links
- Lyrics of "There's No One Quite Like Grandma"
- Short video clip of the song (requires RealPlayerRealPlayerRealPlayer is a cross-platform media player by RealNetworks that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, QuickTime, Windows Media, and multiple versions of proprietary RealAudio and RealVideo formats.-History:...
) - Composer Gordon Lorenz
- Page about the first album of Modern Hymns the choir made"
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturenews/6622821/St-Winifreds-choir-reunites-for-charity-version-of-Theres-No-one-Quite-Like-Grandma.html