Cliff Richard Reggae Psalm 23 Christmas Song: Learning Reggae at 86

He has sung his way through eight decades of pop history. Now, at 86, Sir Cliff Richard is learning something brand new — and it has a beat he has never tried before.

Cliff revealed during a question-and-answer session at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, London, that he is recording a reggae version of a Bible psalm as a Christmas song. The track, "The Lord Is My Shepherd," is based on Psalm 23 and is being put together with songwriter Chris Eaton.

Eaton is no stranger to Cliff's Christmas triumphs. He wrote "Saviour's Day," the singer's 1990 Christmas single that topped the UK chart — and Cliff is hoping lightning strikes again.

Cliff Richard Learning Reggae: What Did He Say About Psalm 23?

Cliff was frank with his audience about the challenge. He has never sung reggae before, and he admitted he cannot sing the new song yet — he is still learning it.

"I've never sung reggae before, but Chris is really good at it. He's phrased it like that, so I'm learning reggae. He's written me Number Ones at Christmas, and his new song is based on one of the psalms. I can't sing it yet as I've not learnt it. But it goes: 'The Lord Is My Shepherd' ... and it's reggae."

The admission charmed the room, and the news travelled fast. Within days, music outlets from NME to Far Out Magazine were reporting the story, and fans online were joking about the most unexpected genre switch of the year.

According to The Telegraph, the song will feature on a Christmas album planned for next year. That timing matters: this is a project being built carefully, not rushed out for this December.

Sir Cliff Richard Christmas Number Ones: How Many Has He Had?

Cliff's Christmas record is the stuff of chart legend. He has had 14 UK No. 1 singles in total, and his festive chart-toppers stretch from 1960's "I Love You" with The Shadows through "Mistletoe And Wine" in 1988, Band Aid II's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in 1989, "Saviour's Day" in 1990, and "The Millennium Prayer" in 1999.

Reports differ on whether the reggae psalm would be his fifth or sixth festive No. 1, depending on how the Band Aid II charity single is counted. Either way, the ambition is the same: another Christmas chart-topper, more than six decades after his first.

"The Millennium Prayer" itself was a leap of faith. It set the words of the Lord's Prayer to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne," and mainstream radio largely ignored it — yet it still reached No. 1, powered by fans and by Christian radio playing it every hour.

Cliff Richard Christian Faith: A Career Built on Open Belief

Cliff has never hidden his Christian faith. Across a career spanning eight decades, he has spoken openly about it, recorded gospel material, and kept faith at the centre of his public life even when pop fashion moved the other way.

That openness is part of why the psalm project feels so natural to his fans. Like today's Christian artists topping the charts with worship music, Cliff has always treated faith as something to sing about, not something to keep quiet.

The last year has tested him personally, too. Late last year he revealed he had undergone treatment for prostate cancer, and spoke about a screening process he called "absolutely ridiculous." Around the same time, he played a festive show at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Cliff Richard Only Number Ones Album November 27 2026

Before any Christmas album arrives, fans have a nearer date to mark. Cliff's new album, "Only Number Ones," is released on November 27, 2026, through Warner Music — a collection of his favourite chart-topping hits given his own stamp.

The 12-track set includes a new version of "White Christmas," alongside covers of songs by artists from Harry Styles to The Monkees. It is his 48th studio album, produced by Sam Hollander and Josh Edmondson and recorded in February 2026, with a deluxe 2CD edition also on the way.

Cliff explained the idea simply: he suggested to Warner Music that he record an album of songs that made it to No. 1, and they agreed. He listened to dozens of songs and chose 12 favourites as a tribute to the artists who first recorded them.

So the calendar is set: a new album in November, and a reggae psalm waiting in the wings for a Christmas album next year. Fans of faith-filled music have plenty to look forward to this season, and the wider world of Christian music keeps finding new audiences.

Will a reggae Psalm 23 give Cliff Richard another Christmas No. 1? At 86, learning a genre he has never sung before, for a song from a book he has believed in all his life — he is definately not the kind of man to bet against.

One psalm, one new rhythm, and one singer who refuses to stand still. When the reggae version of "The Lord Is My Shepherd" finally arrives, the charts — and the church — will both be listening.

But the most surprising part of this story is yet to come — keep reading.