A Gloucester man has completed a gruelling 42-hour Christmas singathon in a bid to break a Guinness World Record, performing nearly two full days of festive classics without losing his voice.
Dave Purchase, 63, sang 684 songs, repeating 38 favourites including Step Into Christmas, Jingle Bells, and Last Christmas. The attempt, held at Gloucester’s docks, began at midnight on Wednesday, December 10, and ended Friday, December 12.
“I nearly gave up at about 4 o’clock on Friday morning,” Dave admitted. “I was hallucinating with the lack of sleep and falling asleep while singing. But when the crowd arrived, the adrenaline took over.”
Despite losing his lower register and some falsetto, Dave said his middle vocal range remained strong. “I knew that if I could just keep myself awake and physically focused, I could get through this. You literally push yourself to the actual limit to achieve a world record,” he added.
ALSO READ: CAN slams ‘A Very Dirty Christmas’ movie title, demands apology from Ini Edo
Guinness rules allowed Dave only a five-minute break per hour, or a 20-minute break if he sang continuously for four hours, with just 20 seconds of rest between songs. Supporting him throughout were a dementia choir, a children’s choir, and local spectators who helped keep spirits high.
Dave, who has a background performing on cruise ships and in theatre, said the event was also intended to boost community engagement at the docks. “People were part of something, made friends, and the atmosphere was fantastic,” he said.
The current record, held by Ewaoluwa Olatunji of Lagos, Nigeria, stood at 31 hours. Dave and his team have now submitted all evidence to Guinness for verification, awaiting confirmation of the official new record.