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An unpublished image: Guitarists Stephen Royle (left) and Stephen Heys, joined by a third un-named guitarist (right), provide the musical backing at Burnley's Victoria Hospital, when the boys toured the wards.
Boys from Barden School have been bringing the spirit of the festive season into hospitals, schools and hostels in the Burnley area. During this week, 18th December 1970, and part of next, they will have visited every hospital in town, several junior schools, old people's hostels and children's homes. And the boys, about 40 of them, have all volunteered for the job of spreading the Christmas carols around town. They are not all from the recognised school choir, and many of the traditional carols have been set to modern music. Eight guitarists with the group, and two teachers also willing to pluck strings, coupled with a set of drums, provide the right musical backing.

The two teachers supervising the boys are Mr. Alan Scholes and Mr. Neil Clarke. When the group visits a hospital each master takes his group and they tour the wards, inviting patients to join in. At schools, old people's hostels and children's homes the group does a 30-minute piece. They turn out modern carols or traditional carols set to modern music. And tomorrow the group will be singing in the town's new market square in an effort to raise money for Oxfam. Mr. Scholes said: "The big thing is that all these boys volunteered. It is not only the school choir, and its so nice to see these boys step forward and prepared to bring the spirit of Christmas home to people less fortunate than themselves. We are hoping to be backed by the school's brass band section in the market square, but nothing is definite at the moment."