Salisbury Radio's Song for Christmas Returns for 2025

Salisbury Radio is delighted to announce the return of Song for Christmas, with local schools filling the airwaves with their festive songs in the lead-up to Christmas 2025.

Now in its fourth year, Song for Christmas is Salisbury Radio's festive song competition, which brings schools together from across Salisbury, South Wiltshire, and West Hampshire and is being supported again this year by Theresa and the team at Elite Care. 

Each day, a different school's song is played on Salisbury Radio, starting on Monday, 1st December, during Ian Burrage's Breakfast Club and repeated later in the day, with the final song being played on Christmas Eve. 

For the competition, Salisbury Radio visits each participating school to record that school's 'Song for Christmas'. Salisbury's local radio station then plays one song a day in December, leading up to Christmas.

Salisbury Radio has assembled a panel of judges, comprising former local head teachers, who listen to the songs with their experienced ears, not knowing which school has sung each song, and then give each a score. The song with the highest score wins the competition. 

Last year's competition was won by Hale & Hyde Primary Schools. The two small primary schools on the edge of the New Forest combined their choirs to perform 'The First Noel,' which the judges loved.

Once again, Salisbury Radio is also organising two carol concerts for the local schools to perform in. These will take place at Sarum Academy in early December in the large performance hall at the secondary school on Bemerton Heath.

The concerts unite the school communities and give the children the chance to perform in front of other schools and their families, and last year were attended by the Mayor of Salisbury and Salisbury's MP, John Glen. 

During the competition, Salisbury Radio will make all the songs available for download for a donation of £1; this, combined with the money collected at the carol concerts, will be donated to Stars Appeal to help support their fantastic work at Salisbury District Hospital. 

Andy Munns from Salisbury Radio said, "This really is the best thing we do all year. It brings so many people so much festive joy. From the children singing the songs, to those listening at home. We get so many messages every year telling us how much people enjoy it. 

"I can't wait to visit our local primary schools again this year, record their songs and get properly in the festive spirit, all thanks to Song for Christmas. 

"We had 23 schools take part last year; this year, we are squeezing in one more to make 24. We also had 14 schools join us for the carol concerts, and we can't wait to bring those back and have two amazing evenings of festive joy at Sarum Academy. Many thanks to Magna Learning Partnership and our sponsors, Elite Care for supporting Song for Christmas again this year."

Schools are now invited to sign up to take part in this year's Song for Christmas. Schools can express their interest by completing this form - SIGN UP