NEXT Sunday, York soprano Rebecca Newman will take to the stage in Museum Gardens for the York Proms.

The show marks a welcome return for the popular singing star who has postponed the last two annual Proms because of the pandemic.

Rebecca also tragically lost her husband, Jay Fewtrell, in 2020, who ran the Proms with her.

Today, our archive photos recall a different occasion for the celebrated soprano who has a number-one classical album to her name and has toured with Russell Watson and sung with Alfie Boe.

We have dialled back the time clock to winter 2013, when Rebecca made a festive music video at Derwent Valley Light Railway station at Murton Park.

The park has been celebrating in recent days as it marks its 40th anniversary.

However, back then, it was Rebecca who was celebrating as she unleashed a music video that went on to be a YouTube sensation.

Watch the video here:

The video for Rebecca’s Christmas single, Holidays Are Coming – Wonderful Dream, went viral and clocked up 88,000 hits on Youtube in just over a fortnight.

Bookmakers William Hill went on to quote odds of 100-1 for the song, Holidays Are Coming – Wonderful Dream, to become the Christmas number one, the same as for stars George Michael, James Blake and The Pogues. (The actual Christmas number one that year was claimed by X Factor winner Sam Bailey with her song Skyscraper).

However, as our photos show, much fun was had making the music video at Murton.

A lighting crew descended on the Derwent Valley Light Railway station to illuminate it with powerful arc lights and dozens of tiny candle lights, while a camera crane hovered over a nearby steam locomotive.

The film starred a Peckett tank steam locomotive, built in 1939, which had to reverse into the station eleven times during filming, along with a cast of children and adults from the theatre company We Are Theatre.

Video director Christopher David, of Flash Frame Productions, said at the time: “We wanted to create a nostalgic image of yesteryear – the sort of Christmas we all dreamed of, but maybe never really existed, a Christmas card image of friendship, love and community.”

He said the production was helped by the energy, expertise and enthusiasm of the railway’s volunteer staff and a team from the nearby Yorkshire Museum of Farming.

He described the railway, which runs Santa specials in December, as an “undiscovered gem”. He said: “I couldn’t believe we’d found such a delightful location so close to York, and I want to say thank you to all the staff. They’ve been brilliant.”

Ten pence from every download of Rebecca’s song from iTunes went to the children’s charity ChildLine.