Stars of stage... and screen
Date published: 23 December 2015
carol singers . . . (from left) Sam Kearney, Toby Cryne, Ella Kay, Peter Wakefield, Lesley Abbott, Dawn Allison and Matt Murphy
A HOST of Oldhamers will bring tidings of comfort and joy to Weatherfield in the Christmas Day episode of “Coronation Street”.
Peter Wakefield and choir singers from across the borough and Mossley will be joined by Lees Band (Oldham) to create a wintry wonderland on the cobbles.
ITV approached choir singer Peter - by day Oldham Coliseum’s head of finance - to recruit an ensemble of carol singers to bring festive cheer to a moving scene in the soap’s Christmas Day special, which feature Fiz’s cancer-stricken little girl Hope.
Lees Band was drafted in to provide a blast of brass as the Street comes together to recreate Lapland — organised by Fiz’s partner Tyrone — as poorly Hope was unable to make it to the real destination.
Peter - a member of Unlimited Voices Manchester choir, spent two and a half days filming the snowy scenes in October.
“I got a call saying they needed carol singers as I have a lot of contacts. It was great. They make you feel so welcome on set. All the Corrie cast really got involved with the whole thing and we got to rub shoulders with them all in the canteen afterwards.
“I’ve been an extra before and you never know whether you’ll make the cut but I’ve already seen myself on the trailers.
“I know one of the singers hasn’t told anyone and is waiting for Christmas Day when all the family will be round to watch it.”
