See, everyone needs their token Christian at some time!!!

Seriously, as I think I mentioned elsewhere, I've been in a church choir for very nearly 3/4 of my life, that is nearly 27 years of singing bloody O little town, and the distressing First Nowell.... I'm sure people love them, because they are only heard once a year, but they are particularly intollerant of any other idea at the end of the year. Bit of 'testifying' here now. I became a Christian because I looked at the other 'teams' around me at the time, and decided that JC and the rest were my sort of team. However, that doesn't mean that I automatically deny every other team exists. That would be like saying I was a West Ham supporter and that Arsenal were non-exisitant (like their chances in the cup this year, snigger snigger), I still have a great deal of sympathy for some of the earlier religions, particularly that of the goddess, and of Wicca. I've been to some of their celebrations, the earth didn't swallow me up, and I didn't feel wrong, or out of place. But I do feel a bit sad, when we sing carols that are so obviously written for a different deity - the Holly and the Ivy is one prime example, a tree worship song if ever I heard one - and I get really steamed when I sing a song that maybe doesn't express the Christian view of Christmas - even the totally pagan wren hunting got twisted to a Christian perspective, and people jump up and down and say that isn't a Christmas song... What has 'White Christmas' got to do with a) the weather, who wants to spend the holidays waiting for the snowplough so you can just go to the shops, or b) with the birth of a prophet/messiah 2000 odd years ago in a sub tropical country, who was probably more than olive in skin tone.... But no-one complains when that gets played to death do they....

Incidentally, Lyngham is otherwise known as the jolly tune for 'O for a thousand tongues to sing', you know, the one that goes into different parts for the last line.

And 'O little Town' can fit to 'Jerusalem', if you do a couple of wiggles.....

Please can anyone suggest a new tune for 'O come all ye faithful'? Even my twisted brain can't come up with an alternative for THAT!!

LTS