Will Blists Hill video help band to Number 1?

Could Blists Hill Victorian Town be the latest secret weapon in the war on X Factor and help a little known band get to Number One for Christmas?

This is the question being banded about in the music industry as the festive battle for chart supremacy begins - and Shropshire music fans could, at least in part, hold the answer.

Because Blists Hill has been chosen to feature as the video backdrop in a major campaign to catapult a new band with major backing to the top of the musical Christmas tree.

James Ryan, creative director of boutique music consultancy Spin Cycle Music, and his new group The Florin Street Band are in no doubt about the the project's aspirations.

"With this song, My Favourite Time of Year, we are trying to get to Number One for Christmas," says James matter of factly.

"The Christmas charts no longer reflect Christmas and we feel that it is time to bring that back.

"Programmes such as the X-Factor have taken away this great tradition where festive songs were all about Christmas, a celebration of the season and spending time with family and friends, and we aim to do that."

And of course, a huge part of any Christmas campaign is image and context - and drummer James and the band knew exactly where to turn when they wanted to bring a sprinkle of red nosed reindeer magic to proceedings - Blists Hill Victorian Town.

"It is a fantastic setting and really evocative of Christmas," he says. "There couldn't be a place more like Christmas.

"The director of the video, Nick Bartleet, spoke with American cinematographer John Perez about Blists Hill and the whole concept for the video.

"If you take a look at John's website you'll see he's shot videos for Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z and Christina Aguilera.

"John was completely enchanted by the idea and setting for the video, he decided to fly over from LA to do the shoot. He loved the idea of Blists Hill. When he saw pictures of this Victorian town he was blown away and he asked 'Where is this, Pinewood Studios?'

"He just wanted to do it straight away, and that was lucky because we were doing this on a budget and couldn't have paid him as much as Jay-Z!

"It provided an incredibly magical setting for the video."

It was all filmed in one night during October, in a 14-hour session between the time Blists Hill closed until it opened the next morning, featuring many members of staff from the museum who stood in as extras.

The video opens with snow falling as a Dickensian singer in fingerless gloves tickles the ivories in the cosy surroundings of the pub at Blists Hill. A Victorian brass band strikes up on the street corner and carol singers and bystanders carrying gaslights join in the festive spirit.

"It was only October but when the museum's wardrobe department, who made our costumes, gave them to us for us to wear it felt like Christmas had already arrived," says James.

"And the staff from the museum who played extras in the video were great. There was even one couple who agreed to kiss for a long period of time for the film, and they did not even know each other!"

And apart from the horse chosen to pull a carriage though the town deciding to suddenly relieve itself mid-shot, the overnight session went as smoothly as snowfall.

Paul Gossage, communications director for Ironbridge Museums, says: "It was amazing to be a part of this project. Whilst we have done lots of filming at the museum in the past, we have never been used for a music video before now.

"Canal Street at Blists Hill Victorian Town was carefully selected by the producers as it offered a ready made authentic Victorian street scene, complete with period shop windows. If the producers were to try to recreate the scene in a studio, I guess it would cost tens of thousands of pounds."

"The museum was keen to support the project, as like ourselves The Florin Street Band believe in the traditional values of Christmas and the video concept captured our vision of a Victorian Christmas," Paul continues.

"As the museum has a wardrobe department, that makes all the period costumes for Blists Hill, we were also able to help provide costumes and advice for the cast, to ensure that everyone looked the part.

"It was fantastic to see the transformation of Canal Street into a winter scene, when a specialist company came in and covered the buildings, road and pavements with artificial snow. There were also huge snow and wind machines blowing snow in the air, so as the actors walked down Canal Street they were covered in snow.

"I am sure that The Florin Street Band and My Favourite Time of Year will go to the heart of the nation and become one of the great and enduring anthems of Christmas.

"I will certainly be singing along to it at my Christmas parties."

• For more information about when My Favourite Time of Year is released visit www.florinstreet.com