Colchester Primary School Features Donkey in Christmas Music Video

A Christmas music video has been produced through the collaborative efforts of over 600 schoolchildren, their head teacher, and a donkey. The staff and students of St John’s Green Primary School in Colchester, Essex, drew inspiration from the holiday tune “Dominick the Donkey.” Simon Billings, the head teacher, humorously remarked that he felt “coerced” into participating following encouragement from the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Since its release on YouTube, the video has garnered thousands of views. The project originated from discussions among PTA members Sally Smith, Rosie Longmate, and Claire Bate, who successfully arranged for a cooperative donkey to be part of the production. Mr. Billings stated: “It’s not everyday that as head teacher you get to perform on stage and spend a morning in a donkey stall.” He added, “I didn’t decide to record the song, I was coerced into it by the PTA who thought it would be a good idea.” He further explained, “They knew that as head teacher in the last few weeks of the busiest time of the year in school, I had a bit of time on my hands and needed to be kept busy.” According to Mr. Billings, the video is expected to bring joy to families “for years to come.” The filming took place at Colchester Arts Centre, utilizing a recording booth, stables, and the stage, and was structured as a talent show. The video showcases the vocal contributions of 630 pupils, who sing along while Mr. Billings and various staff members perform the track. The completed video was subsequently presented to the pupils during its premiere at a school assembly. Both Mr. Billings and Ms. Smith asserted that “Dominick the Donkey” had become “synonymous” with the institution. Ms. Smith commented that the head teacher consistently taught “extremely enthusiastically” regarding Christmas productions. Ms. Smith remarked, “I loved the challenge of seeing just how far we could push it, how many more wonderful people would say yes – and they did.” She concluded, “It’s been fantastic and I just hope it makes a lot of people smile.”