If you have attended any of the annual Carol Concerts at St Andrew's School Croydon over the past 10 years, you are certain to have heard a Christmas carol written by Ian Rae.

During this time, at least one, and sometimes as many as five, of his original compositions have features in the concerts and Ian, who works as a peripatetic music teacher at St Andrews and a tutor at Richard Stilgoe's Orpheus Centre in Godstone, has gradually developed quite a collection of Christmas music.

Now, many of these new and original carols are available on a new album, Sing Everyone Sing from Ian Rae and Friends, released in time for Christmas.

The album, available on CD or cassette, features 14 new, unreleased carols, with vocals provided by a number of singers well known in Croydon amateur theatre circles - Morven and Fiona Rae, Peter St James, Jo Richards and Colin Symmonds. One unique feature of the album is two of the tracks have Ian's daughter Fiona, aged 14 at the time the lead vocals were recorded, singing a duet with herself at her current age of 23.

Samples from some of the tracks can be heard by visiting www.irmamusic.com.

Anyone interested in purchasing the album can order direct on the web at www.irmamusic.com or by writing to Ian Rae, Irma Music, PO Box 2075, Kenley, CR8 5YX.

December 3, 2001 13:00