Holy moley! NHS choir record new version of Bieber track in the hope of repeating their 2015 Christmas No 1 success
The NHS Choir has reunited with Justin Bieber five years after fighting a closely fought race for Christmas No 1.
The Lewisham and Greenwich choir gained fame when they beat the Canadian pop star to the coveted top spot in 2015 after he urged his fans to support them.
They have now added their voices to a special version of his track Holy in an attempt to score another Christmas No 1, with profits split between NHS Charities Together and the choir's local NHS trust charity.
The piano -led Holy, which also features Chance the Rapper, focuses on Bieber's Christian beliefs and his love for his wife Hailey.
Choir members laid down their vocals during sessions at the famous Abbey Road Studios.
Bieber, 26, said of their collaboration: "It's great to be reunited with the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS choir, as we share a fun bit of UK chart history together.
"Especially in these difficult times, I'm humbled to team up with them for a charity single that will benefit NHS workers on the frontlines of this pandemic and pay tribute to their unbelievable dedication."
Choir member Lizzie Farrant, 39, a midwife who was redeployed during the Covid-19 pandemic to help with staff shortages, said: "What a year it has been. We talk about the Christmas No 1 all of the time.
"It's given us so much. And whenever we talk about the Christmas No 1, Justin Bieber is never far from our lips. They are synonymous with each other."
Ms Farrant said members of the choir who had worked on the front line of the pandemic had "seen and experienced things they never imagined they would experience". She added: "The choir has given us a bit of grounding. All that time we have managed to keep virtual rehearsals together.
"We have really given ourselves the support, and then for (Bieber) to get in touch and say, 'I would really like to do this collaboration and share this with you'... that's really fantastic."
The unlikely partnership started back in 2015 when Justin Bieber' s hit Love Yourself and the NHS Choir' s A Bridge Over You were competing to reach the Christmas Number 1 spot.