THE video for York soprano Rebecca Newman’s Christmas single – filmed on a York steam railway – has gone viral, with 88,000 hits on Youtube in just over a fortnight.

And bookmakers William Hill are quoting 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 Press reported last month how Christmas came early on the Derwent Valley Light Railway station at Murton when York-based Flash Frame Productions filmed a festive music video with Rebecca.

The nostalgic film featured a Peckett tank steam locomotive, built in 1939, railway volunteers, staff from the nearby Yorkshire Museum of Farming and a cast of children and adults from the theatre company We Are Theatre.

The video’s director Christopher David, of Flash Frame, said people at the Light Railway had been overwhelmed by the video’s success, which was giving it great publicity.

He said a lot of the views were in America. “I think they love the Englishness of it all,” he said.

The single, the jingle from which is used by Coca Cola in a Christmas marketing advert, was originally quoted at odds of 50-1 to become the Christmas number one.

However, a William Hill spokesman said yesterday that, along with a number of other artists’ songs, the odds were changed to 100-1 after it was announced the X-Factor single would benefit charity, but it was still in with a chance of making number one.

Rebecca, of Rawcliffe, said she was absolutely thrilled by the video’s success, not just for herself but also everyone who helped make it. She added that she hoped to screen it when she gives a concert at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre on December 18.

The single was recorded more than 12 years ago by American singer Melanie Thornton, who was killed in a plane crash in Germany only two days before it was released.

Melanie’s family had posted sipportive comments and were now helping to promote the video in America. Ten pence from every download of Rebecca’s song from iTunes will go to the children’s charity ChildLine.

Rebecca has been involved with the Rugby League World Cup, releasing the competition’s official theme song, Heroes To The World, and singing at the televised games between Ireland and Fiji and Papua New Guinea and Samoa.