Carols

The word carol comes from the Latin caraula  and the original carols weren't just for Christmas. Originally they were any celebratory song - with dancing. Choirs sang church music and everyone else sang carols.. There were carols for Easter, for Wassailing, for drinking, for midsummer and mayday - any folk song and very few were originally composed specifically for Christmas.

The Reformation and Puritanism put an  end to much of the singing and dancing but many carols managed to survive through oral tradition.

It was only much later into the 1800's that folk songs sang at Christmas were gathered together and moved into churches and chapels. Often music was specially written to go with the words.

There are many books about the origins of Christmas Carols with interesting stories - which often go back through the centuries. The old carols we've all sung for years are well known but here are two of my favourite joyous more recent Christmas Carols - aimed at children and both well known in Methodist Chapels. 

(Both youtubes below are from Frodsham Methodist Chapel in Cheshire)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sp2QlKTYTZ8. Come and Join the Celebration by Valerie Collison in 1972.

The Calypso Carol - See Him Lying in a Bed of Straw written by Michael Perry in 1964

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_kwvn8G1wE

Yesterday's coffee for day 13 of advent  was chocolate/almond again. I guess I've now had all the different varieties.

The Strictly Semi Final last night wasn't as good as some other weeks I thought. Apparently there was all sorts of nastiness last week after Lewis Cope was voted off - it's taken so seriously by some people. I'm not bothered who wins - we'll have forgotten who won it in a few months anyway - or that might just be me!