Holy singsong as vicars make CD for civil war refugees (with video)

A PAIR of singing vicars have hit the recording studio to help African victims of civil war.

Tony Luke and Dave Perkins are behind the album Hot Under The Collar, which features a range of rock, folk, traditional and operatic numbers.

The pair are no strangers to performing, with the Rev Luke making it to the bootcamp stage of ITV's X-Factor show in 2005. Now, they are hoping their talent will help raise money for the Bishop's 2008 Harvest Appeal.

The Rev Perkins has sold 350 copies of the CD to his parishioners at All Saints, in Turnditch, Christ Church, in Belper, and St Anne's, in Ambergate.

The 57-year-old said: "With the run-up to Christmas, it's the ideal present, full of easy-listening, folky songs.

"It was great fun doing it. We both feel that, and it's captured the imagination of a lot of people – I think the idea of two singing vicars does.

"But the big thing is to raise a lot of money for the Sudan."

About 1.9 million civilians were killed in southern Sudan during the country's second civil war, from 1983 to 2005. A further 4 million were forced to flee their homes.

Money from sales of the CD will be used to fund the Christian church in the Sudan, where it is helping with the reconstruction process.

The pair spent several sessions recording the 15-track album at Snug Recording Studio, in Agard Street, Derby.

Mr Luke sang traditional and operatic numbers such as Josh Groban's You Raise Me Up, while Mr Perkins performed the album's rock and easy-listening songs.

Mr Luke, who is vicar for Aston-on-Trent, Elvaston, Shardlow, Swarkestone, Weston-on-Trent, Barrow-on-Trent, and Twyford, hopes his appearance on the X-Factor will help to boost sales.

He said: "The experience of being on TV gave me a higher profile, so that if I do something like this I'm quite well-known.

"But I'm getting too old to do anything like that again – I turned 50 this year. I was amazed by how far I got, for an old fellow, by X-Factor standards. I just did it as a bit of fun and enjoyed the experience."

He impressed the judges during the first round of auditions for the show in 2005 and made it to the bootcamp. He was mentored by Sharon Osbourne but failed to make the next stage.

To order a CD, which costs £8, send a cheque payable to DCMU-CA to Nicky Bate at the Bishop of Derby's office, The Bishop's House, 6 King Street, Duffield, DE56 4EU. For more information, call Derby 840132.