ABOUT Which Christmas Musical

Redhead Music sells over forty musicals and songbooks written by Sheila Wilson. Sheila first wrote 'Hosanna Rock!' in 1990 for her son's school and another local school to use. Both schools loved it, and she's been writing musicals ever since! She's now written sixteen Christmas musicals, six harvest ones, four Easter ones, and a selection for assemblies and concerts, including year 6 leavers' concerts, and encompassing citizenship and values-education. Sheila writes two or three new ones a year, and her publishers include Novello, Faber, Golden Apple, A&C Black, and her own company, Redhead Music.

The musicals are very popular in schools, and also in churches. Their combination of joyful, hand-jiving rock & roll, and heart-achingly tender, gentle songs, creates a beautiful performance that the children love, and makes the audience 'laugh and cry'. Increasingly over the last few years, the musicals have been being purchased and performed in other countries around the world, from Europe to America, Australia, the Caribbean, India, South Africa... Also they've been performed on television and radio, and at the Royal Albert Hall and in cathedrals.

This year's new titles are 'The Christmas Code!', 'Harvest Rock!' and 'Prodigal Rock!' (the latter being ideal for leavers/anytime of year).

Sheila and Redhead Music are always happy for schools to adapt her music and her plays/narration, to suit the performers. Some schools like to simplify, others to expand, but both are fine so long as the proper credits are still given. Some schools add whole orchestras, and others make full use of the backing tracks.

'My absolute priority,' says Sheila, 'is for children to enjoy the music, and to feel great about themselves as they learn it and perform it. Whether it's an accomplished choir, an inner-city school or a village school, a cathedral or a Sunday school, the performance is important to each child and each teacher, and I want that performance to be easily attainable but to sound brilliant! I try to make the songs easy to learn but in no way boring. The children are actually learning quite complex rhythms and melodies, without even realising they're being stretched. They're used to doing that all the time, of course, when they listen to music at home, so there's no need to make schools' music any less creative. Thank you to all the children and teachers who've taken the time to write to me at Redhead Music and tell me about the shows you've enjoyed, and even to send CDs or videos. I enjoy receiving the feedback and, of course, watching the performances!'

What's next? Sheila's writing a book of vocal warm-up exercises for Faber, plus she always has next Christmas in mind...