Denny music man Barry and the gang raise over two grand for Strathcarron Hospice

The cash was raised by a charity Christmas single performed and recorded by music man Barry Frame and other Denny denizens which made it into the charts last year.

The song – a cover of John Lennon classic Happy Xmas (War is Over) – by Barry Frame and the People of Denny featured 35 singers, 12 guitarists, a bagpiper, a bassist and a Scottish drum.

The project was devised by Barry, a musician and sound quality engineer to trade, who wanted to do something to lift the spirits of everyone and get them talking about something else other than COVID-19.

Barry, a lecturer at Forth Valley College, was eager to support a local charity over the festive season and asked participants to nominate and vote for worthy organisations online.

He said: “Once people heard what I was doing, the messages came pouring in from people who wanted to get involved. This not only included musicians but also schools and local businesses. I then created a Facebook page and began to put a plan in place for recording.”

The COVID-19 lockdown made the recording process tricky, but Barry adapted and overcame to get the song in the can.

“I have passed microphones through car windows, house windows and to people in open spaces to record them while sticking to COVID-19 rules. I think a lot of people are shocked by the quality.”