Every year I try and send some carols to my students .Carols not songs. I really HATE Chrismas songs like that whine-y “Last Christmas” by George MichaeI. I try and send a good variety, not too churchey although we owe so much of our language and culture to the church, and I do have some favourites which seem to get by my self-censorship every year!
Handel’s beautiful PIFA from the Messiah always has a place, and although my students tease me unmercifully, I don’t seem to be able to manage without “The little drummer boy” in one of its numerous covers. One which I can never do without is “Christmas in Killarney” which I think is full of good cheer. I’ve also found another one which I love and which I expected to be more popular ” Quann’ nascett ninn…” there’s something so humble, so heartfelt, so joyous about it… isn’t that what Christmas is? Going back to being a kid again, holding off sleep in the hopes of seeing Father Christmas? Not this nonsensical rush to burden ourselves with cooking for multitudes!
In England the 12 lessons and carols from King’s College chapel are always a hit, and I remember the days (nights) when the village church and chapel vied for our money when they came round carol singing. The Methodist chapel always won, because one of their parishioners was the local mechanic and he had a trailer upon which he himself and his harmonium were driven around, so their music was much better than that of the unaccompanied Anglicans. It was something that caused a bit of excitement in those times of 2-channel telly, newspapers and not much else.
Just to convince you that carolling really is a thing, and that we still love them, especially the old-fashioned ones we can sing-along with , the princess of Wales seems to have started a tradition of carol services for Christmas in WesTminster Abbey.
English that grows 