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Published: Friday, 15 November 2024 at 11:42 AM
Video: Gareth Malone sets record for highest ever carol performance at the top of The Shard
Last night, choirmaster Gareth Malone and his six-person choir sang We Wish You a Merry Christmas, 78 storeys high, within the exposed Spire of The Shard, the UK’s tallest building.
At 867 feet above sea level, the London performance marked the highest-ever Christmas carol rendition on top of a building – and accompanied the switch-on of the annual light display, which can be seen from over 40 miles away.
This year’s Shard Lights are themed around the nation’s favourite Christmas carols, with We Wish You a Merry Christmas taking top spot in a poll, followed by Jingle Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas and Deck the Halls. Four 15-minute festive light sequences will appear every hour, from now until New Year’s Eve, powered by 575 LED light units illuminating the top 20-storeys of The Shard.
Gareth Malone said: ‘Christmas is truly a time where singing can bring so many people together. To lead a performance of the nation’s favourite carol from such an iconic stage – literally from the top of the UK – is an excellent way to kick off the festive season.’
Watch a video of the performance below: