Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 14 Dec 12 - 09:02 AM

I'll be leading an SATB door-to-door carol sing in my area--21st year in a row. We meet for a potluck at my place, rehearse about 10 minutes, then hit the street.

We sing to anybody who has Christmas decorations up or who we are sure wants to hear us (usually from past years).    Some people from my choral group, some from the Washington Men's Camerata, some neighbors, some kids.   We sing out of a packet with some standard arrangements, some not-so- standard (e.g "Gaudete"), some just words and we make up the harmonies on the fly--e.g. White Christmas, Winter Wonderland.   We are getting more and more Hispanics in the area so we now sing some in Spanish. Latest is the haunting lullaby "A la nanita nana".   We also have traditions like singing Adeste Fideles in Latin (one verse) after singing the others in English, singing one verse of Stille Nacht in German after singing the others in English.

There are usually about 15 to 20 of us. I figure above 20 we won't be invited into houses. We never make much headway on the street--usually about 1 1/2 blocks or so in 2 1/2 hours.   It's hard to get 20 people to go anywhere. And if it's cold we are tempted to sing quite a few in warm houses before moving on.

Anybody who wants to join us along the way is welcome.

We also take all requests, whether in the packet or not---and usually can fill the requests.
If we don't get invited in, we sing 2 songs and move on--the second song a request of the family we are singing to.

Then after this we go back to Jan's and my place and continue singing til all hours.



The whole thing is a real kick--and quite a few people, singers and listeners, seem to look forward to it.

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: Crowhugger
Date: 11 Dec 12 - 12:50 AM

We've been to a couple of retirement residences, one for Chanukah, the other Christmas-themed; have a few more Xmas ones lined up. Plus a whack of handbell caroling indoors and out. Love it!

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 11 Dec 12 - 12:45 AM

The Sheffield style of "Pub" Carolling should get them interested Mooh.
Orange Peel Carollers (offshoot of OP Morris) will be doing our bit to bring these carols to Canada, our 11th year now.
JohnB

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: Mooh
Date: 10 Dec 12 - 07:59 AM

My work and gig schedule pretty much prevents me from caroling, but the church choir is doing some I believe. It's a good thing.

Very few of my young students know any Christmas music beyond Frosty The Snowman, Jingle Bells, and Jingle Bell Rock. Some will know Grandma Got Run Over, but otherwise nada, and no interest either. They need to be exposed to actual carols, as opposed to the secular songs, in a fun and inclusive manner.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: GUEST,Ebor_Fiddler
Date: 09 Dec 12 - 06:15 PM

We'r edoing York Staition on Christmas Eve between 1.00 and 2.00pm. We usually do popular, "folk", and pub carols. Mainly boxes to get the volume! Come and put money in the buckets! Christian Aid.

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: GUEST,Maryrrf (cookie?)
Date: 09 Dec 12 - 04:06 PM

Thanks, Guest, for posting the link to Traditional Carols in London. I went to the listening page and enjoyed hearing the singing while I baked some bread - it made for a nice winter afternoon for me!

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: greg stephens
Date: 09 Dec 12 - 07:55 AM

Penkhull(Stoke-on-Trent) Victorian fair this afternoon 4-6.(Sunday Dec 9). Come and join us, have a sing-along practice now with You Shepherds Arise

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Dec 12 - 03:49 AM

We'll be caroling (as usual) with the local church choir. Most years this involves a visit to 3 local pubs (and possibly a nursing home). Collecting bags are carried (by the younger, angelic looking, choristers). The money collected provides a payment to the children in the choir, with the remainder (the bulk) going to charity.
The usual turnout is 2 each of Altos Tenors & Basses, and a number of women sopranos, plus the children.
The evening also acts as an additional practice of the regular carols!

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 07 Dec 12 - 02:53 AM

We start our mad cycle of nursing home caroling gigs tomorrow, and I can't find my Master of Ceremonies notes from past years.

Luckily, I remembered my favorite Christmas Carol research website, http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/.

This Website is a wonderful source of lyrics and background information. Take a look.


-Joe-

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: greg stephens
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 07:34 AM

That last one about Penkhull Mystery Singers was me, temporarily cookieless

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 04:56 AM

The Penkhull Mystery Singers sing in the Penkhull(Stoke-on-Trent) pubs.On Monday 17 they will be going round all five, starting with the White Lion. Plus an outing to the Westport Lake Christmas Fair on Sat 8, the Penkhull Victorian Fair on Sun 9, and the Glebe(and other Stoke pubs?) on Thursday 17.
Repertoire: as the mood takes us. Mainstream(Ding Dong Merrily, Wenceslas , more pubby(Sweet Chiming Bells, Shepherds Arise, Cranbrook)), dangerously modern(White Christmas) etc etc

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Dec 12 - 04:55 AM

Last Christmas the house group my wife attends travelled round our village singing carols and handing out candles to residents.

We were about 12 voices last year

This year the same is planned

I play the guitar, with an amplifier in my rucksack on my back.

Happy Christmas everyone

Nadoleg Llawen

btw John Kirkpatrick at Herga Monday 10th Dec for Carols and Crumpets

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 03:11 PM

Hunt and I did a round of nursing homes this past weekend. We will also go to the one we like to visit on Christmas day- they're always short staffed on that day, and only a few residents will have visitors. So about 5 or 6 of us will go spread some cheer.

Besides that, my chorus will sing in a local town square this Sunday, and my family will have an indoors jam and caroling party on Christmas Eve.

I love it all!

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 10:16 AM

We'll be at the annual Folk Carol Service at St Clements Church in Leigh on Sea in Essex on Sunday December 16 from 6.30pm.
Details at
http://www.famouspotatoes.co.uk/fcarols/fcarols.htm

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 11:44 PM

I have rarely gone caroling. If I do, I will join a group at the Women's Prison at Rhode Island's Adult Correctional Institution. It's organized by one of my favorite local singers who spent time there for civil disobedience actions. However, it is always on Christmas Eve, and this time I will be with my family in western Massachusetts.

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 10:24 AM

Every Saturday and Sunday from Thanksgiving until Christmas on the Streets of Skaneateles NY.

My 18th year doing so.

12 noon to 4 pm. also X-mas Eve noon to 2:30-ish...

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: Spectacled Warbler
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 08:02 AM

We carol in about 8 local pubs plus the occasional nursing home, 10 - 20 of us with 2-3 melodeons / accordions. We sing well known and more local Yorkshire traditional carols, raise some money for charity, it's rough and ready and very good fun.

Wouldn't be Christmas without carols!

Joy

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 06:35 AM

Yes, round our village. Long-Johns and thermals on, two pairs of gloves and a woolly hat!

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 06:24 AM

London Pub Carols

in Borough, Putney and Richmond.

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: Will Fly
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 03:44 AM

We have a Christmas songs night each year in Ditchling in Sussex - previous years at the Bull, this year at the White Horse - and we bring voices and as many instruments as we can muster. We sing a mixture of carols and songs appropriate to the season - usually ending with a riotous "A Fairy Tale Of New York" and often with full horn accompaniment! The jug gets taken round and all money collected goes to a local charity.

If you're in the area on Wednesday, 19th December, it's the White Horse in Ditchling.

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: GUEST,FloraG
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 03:19 AM

Already done Fawkham church in aid of the roof fund. Its a lovely 12 centuary church with a colapsing ceiling. Carols are so like folk songs - a tune and a story - that lots of people know. We played a few morris tunes too to remind us of summer.
FloraG

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: Joe Offer
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 02:18 AM

We're hitting 11 nursing homes this year. Mostly, we sing with a wonderful pianist, but we sing a cappella when she's not around. I'm director and MC, and the church secretary sets up the schedule. People like us so much, that we also do Fourth of July carols in the summer.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 12:19 AM

No plans for neighborhood caroling. One nursing home scheduled and a set playing carols at a shopping mall.
- Phil

Subject: Will you go Christmas Caroling this year
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 01:46 PM

Will you be Caroling this year? In your neighborhood? My group has arranged to go to three nursing homes the week of Christmas. We're looking forward to it. How about you?