... and pretty soon you'll be running around the shops frantically wondering what you're going to get for your favourite folkie friends. Something a bit different, something they'll enjoy, something they've never heard before, something that's not too expensive ...

Here's your answer - a CD of traditional carols, but carols with a difference. They are mainly from England's West Country, and while a number of them will be well-known and well-loved by anyone with any experience of English folk song, others are settings to quite unfamiliar tunes, and some we believe have never been recorded before. The playlist includes three carols from Cheddar and one from Dunster, as well as an old carol from Dorset, a round from the 13th century, and a West Gallery (Sacred Harp)piece. There's even one from Kentucky.

The singers and musicians are the Hotwells Howlers, a Bristol (UK) based group who for the past eight years have been singing their three sets of seasonal songs throughout the year to raise money for cancer charities. Earlier this year we gave £1000 to McMillan Nurses, a charity which provides nursing for cancer sufferers in their own homes. We hope to hand over another sizeable cheque in 2009. Nearly all of the money raised by selling our CD will go to a cancer charity - a small amount will be kept aside to help fund props and hall hire for folk opera projects (again, proceeds from those performances will be donated) and (a very modest amount)to partly subsidise our Christmas dinner.

The CD is tremendous value with 22 tracks. It is on sale at £10 in the UK or $20 (cash) to the US (p&p incl). Please phone or e-mail your orders to either 1) John Shaw - angelash@ukonline.co.uk 0117-9673443, or 2) Dave Byrne - davidwbyrneuk@yahoo.co.uk   01761-419224 or 3) send me a PM.

Tracklist is :-
1    See the angelic host (Cheddar)
2    The holly and the ivy (Glouc)
3    Near Bethlehem       (Cheddar)
4    On Christmas time
5    Gloucestershire wassail
6    Away dark thoughts   (West Gallery)
7    Brightest and best   (Kentucky)
8    Christmas song    (Copper Family)
9    Sweet bells
10   Ye people all    (Cheddar)
11   Boar's head carol   (with rare 4th verse)
12   Come tune your cheerful voice (Dorset)
13   Christmas Day in the morning (tune from Shetland)
14   Scatter your crumbs
15   While shepherds were watching (Staffs)
16   Sheep 'neath the snow (Isle of Man)
17   Somerset wassail
18   Mirie it is ("Merry it is" - a round sung in Middle English)
19   The virgin unspotted (Glouc)
20   I hear along our street (North Somerset)
21   We singers make bold
22   Hark the herald angels sing (Carlingcott, Somerset)

Each CD will be copied from a master on domestic equipment which takes a little time. So get your order in now to make sure that it reaches you before Christmas.