Christmas songs are invariably cheesy affairs with less depth than a small puddle.

Not, however, Christmas Spirit (I’ll Find You In The Lights), by Kevin James Andrews, which was released on November 21.

Kevin, once a member of the band Big Wednesday - big enough to play the BBC Radio 2 stage at Guilfest in 2004 - wrote the song in memory of his parents Rod and Lynn Andrews, who died in the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

It was inspired by the hospice’s Light Up A Life services, where the names of those who have died are projected on to a building. Proceeds will go to the charity.

Kevin said: “I wanted to write a bitter-sweet Christmas song. Times of celebration can be the most difficult if you have lost someone.”

The song is upbeat yet underscored with sadness and has the key line “It’s days like these that will always be the hardest”.

Grief and fun mix in the song’s video too. Kevin, wearing a Christmas jumper, starts by singing in front of a Christmas tree. Suddenly he is replaced by an image of a smiling man and the name Bert Roberts below.

Bert is replaced by Linda Dawes, then Dennis and Sylvia Fry. So it continues, picture after picture of people who are mourned.

Kevin said: “I asked friends and family to send pictures and names of those who had died and I had a good response.”

Kevin started songwriting again to help him with the pain of his father’s death during Covid when visits were limited, and continued through the grief of his mother’s death.

He said: “Phyllis Tuckwell staff were amazing in very difficult circumstances. They are angels.”

The song is available on all streaming platforms and at linktr.ee/kevinjamesandrews, where there is a link to a fundraising page for Phyllis Tuckwell.