Every Christmas, this little clip makes the rounds again, and it still has the same effect: people start smiling, then laughing, then laughing a little harder. What you are watching is a young girl named Ellie Harrison singing “The Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy” with absolute, unforgettable enthusiasm, while her baby brother Francis plays Baby Jesus.
How This Moment Happened
This nativity was filmed in 1996 at St Helen’s Church in Clifford Chambers, near Stratford-upon-Avon. The reason Ellie sings so loudly is wonderfully simple. Right before the play started, Ellie’s mother, Wendy Harrison, was filming from the back of the church and worried she would not be able to hear her daughter. She told Ellie, “Make sure you sing up so Mummy can hear you at the back.”
Ellie did exactly what she was told. While the other children sang softly, Ellie sang with full volume conviction so her voice would reach the last row. If you listen closely, you can even hear the congregation and the other children starting to giggle as she powers on without missing a beat.
How It Became a Viral Favorite
For years, the footage lived quietly on a family VHS tape, shared only with relatives and friends. Then in 2011, Ellie’s older sister Hannah Harrison uploaded it to YouTube so she could easily share it with friends. It was never meant to go beyond their circle.
Within days, it took off. Over time it reached millions of views, and it has been featured again and again on Christmas “funniest home video” specials in the UK and beyond.
Where the Family Is Now
Over the years the family has done interviews and TV appearances to talk about their unexpected “15 minutes of fame,” and how often the video resurfaces each December.
- Ellie (the singer): Now in her early 30s, Ellie has said she is actually quite shy and does not usually like being the center of attention. She later went into education and childcare, and still gets recognized once in a while when the clip makes its yearly return.
- Francis (Baby Jesus): Francis was just a few months old in the video, and is now a grown man. He has joked that his first “acting role” is somehow watched by millions of people every year.
- Hannah (the uploader): Hannah still feels like the “gatekeeper” of the video and remains genuinely surprised that something so ordinary and unplanned continues to bring so much joy.
A Note About the Setting
St Helen’s Church is a real 12th-century church, and the family has shared that the vicar at the time was patient and good humored about the moment. In that parish, Ellie’s legendary singing is still a story people remember.
Why People Still Love It
Part of the magic is the contrast. A quiet, traditional church nativity is meant to be sweet and solemn, and then you have one child who follows instructions with such wholehearted determination that it turns into pure, unintended comedy.
It is also strangely moving in its own way. It is the sound of a child trying her absolute best, with zero self consciousness, because she wanted her mum to hear her.
If this clip made you laugh, you are in good company. It has been doing that for decades, and it is still going strong!
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