The first Christmas without her

Everyone tells a story about Mum's Christmases.

Her sisters, her friends and the grandchildren each tell a story about a Christmas with her. It becomes a printed book for the family, with a podcast link of every voice.

Start collecting, free See it working

Gathering is free. You won't need a card.

Hear it
Their voice plays from the page.
Read it
Every message is written out on its page.
Hold it
We deliver the printed book to your door.
Watch it

Here's how the Christmas book about Mum was made.

9:41
A slate blue Chorus book with In memory of Mum on the cover, beside dried flowers
How it works

Bring everyone's stories together with one link!

Start the book

Tell us who it's for

Put in her name, and send the link round the family.

Share one link

Everyone adds their story

Friends and family can capture a memory by voice, video, writing or photos, wherever they are in the world. It's easy on any phone and nobody needs an account!

We put it together

Hear it, read it, hold it

We write out every voice note and gather it all into a podcast you can play and a beautiful book you can hold.

The three questions in the book

  1. What's a Christmas with them you remember?
  2. What did they always do at Christmas?
  3. What's a story about them you'd like the grandchildren to hear?
Her Christmases

Ask her friends as well as the family.

Her friends from work know her Christmas outside the house, like the drinks on the twenty-third.

1

Her Christmas cake

Ask whoever has her recipe for the Christmas cake to talk it through, and add a photo of the card it's written on.

2

Her own voice first

Add the voice notes and videos you have of her, like last year's video of her at the Christmas table.

3

Christmas Day

Play the podcast link after the dinner while everyone's still at the table.

What people say

What people say in a Christmas book about Mum

Start with the year, then say what happened.

"Mary and I took the eighth of December off for the shopping every year. She wrote the list on the back of an envelope and read it out to me on the bus in."
BBridieher friend from work
"Granny made the trifle with the green jelly on top, and I did the hundreds and thousands."
JJodyher grandson, aged seven
"Mary wanted the real tree, and she'd get Daddy to drive out to Kilcoole for it the Saturday after the eighth."
KKittyher sister
"Mum played the same Christmas tape in the car every December, the one she taped off the radio in 1989. I found it in the glovebox of her car last month."
NNoelher son
When to start

Close the book by Friday 4 December for the printed copy

Give people a few weekends to record. If you order later, the podcast link and the book online are ready the day you order.

In their words
In memory
It was really easy to collect the stories of Mum, and it's now a book I can give all my children that really brings her to life. Pardon the pun and dark humour!!
M
Margaret's family
made the book for her children
In memory
I love Chorus! Thank you so much for giving us a chance for so many laughs remembering Tom. The family chat was taken over talking about him again with all we had uncovered. It was beautiful.
T
Tom's family
made the book about Tom
What it costs

Gathering the voices is free. You only pay when the book is ready.

The gathering
Free
Send one link and collect the voices.
  • Every voice and every photo
  • Download every recording
  • Start as many books as you like
Start free
The voices
$45
Voice editing, and a personal podcast link.
  • Each recording tidied as it comes in
  • The original kept exactly as it was made
  • One link that plays every voice straight through
Choose the voices
The book
$99
Everything in the voices, plus the finished book to read online.
  • The finished book laid out to read online
  • Every message playable from its page
  • Every message written out beside its voice
Choose the book
The keepsake
$115
The book, printed and posted to you.
  • One printed hardcover copy
  • Posted to you
  • Everything in the book option
Choose the keepsake

Want to write your own questions? Start a blank book

Questions people ask

What can we do on the first Christmas without Mum?

Keep one of her traditions going, and give the grandchildren a job she used to do on the day.

How much does it cost to collect the stories?

Nothing. They can each record a message on their own phone, and it doesn't cost anything to collect them. You only pay if you want the voices edited, the book laid out or a printed copy.

Can family abroad record?

Yes. They can record from anywhere in the world with the link. We post the printed book to Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, every EU country, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.

More books like this

Christmas The anniversary of a death A celebration of life A funeral guest book In memory Mother's Day

Who will you be thinking of this Christmas?

Start the book now and invite people whenever you're ready.

Start collecting, free
Start collecting, free