Bella and Amy, two of the teachers in the story, are trying to find a soloist for A Carol for Christmas, until now without success.
Bella’s heart lifted. The kids had been practising their little hearts out for A Carol for Christmas, where the children from Heatherwood and the five neighbouring primary schools took part in a sing-off to see which school choir would be crowned the area’s champion. They were singing so well, together, but she still didn’t have anyone to sing the solo. No one voice out of the whole choir, or at least those who had volunteered to do it, seemed able to cope with it.
Perhaps she and Amy should rethink the solo. ‘O Holy Night’ was, after all, widely known as a difficult carol to sing for a soloist, with the breadth of vocal range involved and those high notes to hit.
As she listened to the children’s sweet voices singing ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’, she tried to focus in on the sound of each child’s voice individually.
When the carol finished, she beckoned Amy over. ‘Have a drink, everyone. We’re going to need those voices again in a second.’
‘What’s up?’ Amy asked as she approached.
Bella pulled on her bottom lip as she thought. ‘How about we play a little game?’
‘What were you thinking?’
‘Well, we’re no closer to finding a soloist, and we only have two weeks until the finals, so I’m wondering if we can smoke out this soloist by having each child sing a line of a song, or a couple of lines, and see how they get on with it.’
Amy pursed her lips. ‘That might just work.’
‘Good. Can you think of a fun way to make this into a game for them?’
‘Give me five minutes,’ Amy said, walking backwards towards the stage again and holding her hands up in a double thumbs-up sign.
Once she’d got the children’s attention, Amy said, ‘Right, can everyone go and grab a chair and put it in the middle of the room? I need them back to back to form two rows.’
The children dashed to the left side of the room, lifting, dragging and screeching the chairs, which they and the children in the lower years had adorned with covers featuring snowmen, reindeer, snowflakes and Christmas trees as part of the school’s attempt to make it the most Christmassy year ever at Heatherwood.
Once everything was in place, Amy said, ‘Right, we’re going to play a game of musical chairs. If you’re out, I want you to sing the next two lines in the carol. Got it?’
Fifty nodding heads later, Bella was applauding her friend on her genius. As the opening chords of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’ rang out, Bella looked on whilst Amy instructed the children to walk round the chairs until the music stopped.
When it did, Eva Morrison was the first ‘unlucky’ child, but she took it with good grace and sang the next two lines in the carol exceptionally well. Amy restarted the process and the children giggled and chatted as time and again they had to find a seat once the music stopped.
Naturally, some jostling ensued and the occasional non-festive shove happened, but mainly the children got in the Christmas spirit and adapted.
After ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’, Amy played ‘Silent Night’ and Bella’s heart faltered as Niamh Fallon sang the lines. Her voice was achingly beautiful, and suited that carol perfectly. Having decided they would indeed change the carol to ‘Silent Night’ and have Niamh sing it, Bella tried to signal to Amy that they were good and didn’t need any more musical chairs, but Amy didn’t see her, and started another round, this time with ‘O Holy Night’.
As first Calum then Gregory didn’t manage to hit the notes, Bella’s frustration grew. We should just knock this on the head now and let Niamh sing ‘Silent Night’.
But then Lara didn’t get to a chair before Ed, and as she began to sing, a hush fell over everyone as her pure, strong, yet melodic voice floated through the games hall. Bella gulped, the hairs on her arms stood up, and she felt such a profound ache in her chest she thought she might start crying. In fact, she was crying. Oh my goodness, they’d found their soloist. Lara’s voice was incredible. How had she managed to keep that hidden, and why?
Here’s the blurb
Can a sprinkle of magic heal broken hearts this Christmas?
With Jacob now at the helm at the cosy Sugar and Spice café, it’s the perfect opportunity for Christmas Spirit Lara to weave her magic.
Fraser is floundering in his new role as headteacher as he grapples with guilt over having to place his beloved mother in a care home, leaving him feeling lost and alone during what should be a joyful time.
Meanwhile, school janitor Paul is torn between his desire to feel needed and the pressure from his wife to retire, dimming the season’s sparkle.
Valerie, overwhelmed by the demands of newborn twins, feels she’s not giving her other daughter enough attention. She needs a bit of me time and for her husband to realise the responsibility for the kids falls to both of them.
And Bella, heartbroken after her husband’s shocking request for a separation just a year into their marriage, longs to escape the memories of last year’s perfect Christmas.
Can Lara help them rediscover joy, connection, and the true spirit of the season?
A heartwarming journey filled with friendship, community, and a dash of holiday magic that promises to transform the lives of those in need of hope this Christmas.
Purchase Link
https://books2read.com/u/bMBNNv
Meet the author
Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance and women’s fiction, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship and community.
Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.
As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.
When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has recently discovered a love of writing retreats.
Connect with the author
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