School Carol Service

[Tilly2]

I went to the local special school carol service this morning. It was lovely to see the children performing the tableaux of the story of the nativity and reading and singing, using signing.

The church was absolutely packed with an adult audience. When it came to the singing of the well known carols, the singing was absolutely dire! Why go to a carol service and not bother to sing?

It is such a shame that all that effort is made by the staff and pupils and the whole thing becomes embarrassing when the carols are being sung.

[quinie]

Tilly2,it was a shame but a lot of adults of a certain age don't know the words of the "well-known" carols.Did they have song sheets? I always love watching children act out the nativity but this one must have been especially moving.

[Peter Pedant]

Also as a tenor - some of the carols are out of the range of some of us.

Think Allegri's miserere (not a carol)
or The Queen of the Night's aria (not religious)
but you know what I mean

[quinie]

When I was at school (long time ago) all or most of us knew the words of Still The Night,O Come All ye Faithful,The First Noel,etc. Love some of the modern ones,eg It Was on a Starry Night,See Him Lying on a Bed of Straw,etc

[Mamyalynne]

The singing was dire or the audience didn't sing ? Sorry I am not sure which you mean.

I think when you get a mixed group with no prior knowledge and a wide range or lack of singing ability, this will always happen.

The Service overall sounds delightful.

[Tilly2]

All the adults had songsheets, so there was really no excuse.

Mamy, what I meant about the singing being dire was the fact that nobody seemed to be making the effort to sing. That's why I said, 'why go to a carol service and not bother to sing?'

[Mamyalynne]

Gotcha, I belt them out whether am in tune or not, is part of the fun.

[Tilly2]

So do I. I love singing.

[Ann]

I think that is sad Tilly. Come to our church carol services - we will show you how to sing! Modern carols as well as the more traditional ones! That is what Christmas is all about.

[anneasquith]

I dislike modern xmas carols :)

[Ann]

Has anyone ever sung While shepherds watched to the tune of On Ilkley Moor ba'tat, it is very jolly :-)

[anneasquith]

ann, you start and we will catch up :)

[grumpy01]

If shepherds were watching their flocks by night would it have been in December?

[Ann]

Right you lot I am tapping my baton on the music stand .....deep breath and off we jolly well go ....

[sherrardk]

Didn't know any of the songs at today's school churchy thing apart from Jingle Bells and the 'band' didn't play the usual tune. It just goes with the territory these days. And the church thing wasn't up the church as it isn't big enough (and it's bleeding freezing up there).