Big Big Train get festive in Merry Christmas video

Big Big Train
Big Big Train

Big Big Train have premiered their video for festive track Merry Christmas exclusively with Prog.

It’s the band’s first Christmas single and it’ll be officially released on December 8 on 7-inch snow white vinyl with gatefold cover, Digipack CD, hi-res and standard-res download and via streaming services. The vinyl and CD versions will include the B-side Snowfalls.

A donation to the Night Stop homelessness charity will be made for every copy sold.

The video features actor Mark Benton and The Chapel Choir Choristers of Jesus College, Cambridge, with Big Big Train vocalist David Longdon saying the track is “about rediscovering our childlike belief in the magic of Christmas, despite living in an over commercial and sometimes cynical world.”

He adds: “After all, what wouldn’t you give to believe again, like you believed back then?”

Bassist Greg Spawton says: ‘We wanted Merry Christmas to be a proper Christmas song, so it features the Big Big Train brass band, The Chapel Choir Choristers of Jesus College, Cambridge and, of course, sleigh bells.”

Actor Benton is a fan of the band and admits when he was approached to get involved with the video, he didn’t need to be asked twice

He says of Big Big Train: “I love the way they tell stories through their beautifully crafted songs. This song is a real Christmas song with everything you need from choirs to sleigh bells.

“The video was great fun to shoot and hopefully really conveys the Christmas message. Let’s make it number one in the charts – the money’s going to a great cause.

“I’m playing triangle and kazoo on the next album – but don’t tell the band because they don’t know it yet!”

[](https://burningshed.com/big-big-train_merry-christmas_vinyl)[_Merry Christmas_ is now available for pre-order](https://burningshed.com/big-big-train_merry-christmas_vinyl).

Mark Benton on the set of the video

Mark Benton on the set of the video (Image credit: Simon Hogg)

The Chapel Choir Choristers of Jesus College, Cambridge

The Chapel Choir Choristers of Jesus College, Cambridge (Image credit: Geoff Parks)

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Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.