Ashington churchgoer wins £1,000 in carol competition

AN ASHINGTON churchgoer won £1,000 when she triumphed in a national Christmas carol competition.

Amateur musician Joy Hammond, who attends Ashington Parish Church, won the Christmas Factor competition with her carol Long, Long Ago, beating off competition from more than 100 other entries.

She said she was "flabbergasted" to win, and has donated the 1,000 prize to the church's renovation fund.

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"I heard about the competition from our church notice sheet and thought I'd give it a go" said Joy.

"I sat down at the piano and started to play a little melody line and tried to get the lyrics to reflect all the things I associate with carols. To be honest, I thought the carol was too simple to win the competition."

But it was the simplicity and beauty of the song that impressed the judges.

The carol was performed at the church's Christmas carol service by a joint choir from Ashington Parish Church and its sister church, St Mary's in Washington.

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Joy was also interviewed on five different radio stations and BBC London played the carol.

"We are all absolutely delighted for and very proud of Joy," said the Rev Chris Maclay, vicar at both the Ashington and Washington churches. "And, of course, we are very blessed by the prize of 1,000 for the church refurbishment fund".

The competition was run by Ecclesiastical Insurance as part of a campaign to highlight the Christian message in Christmas.

To hear the carol, click here

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