Next week there will be Carol singers on our road. There is little more lovely than the sound of singing on a cold night, people clustered round a lantern, nestled in to scarves and gloves. There might only be half a dozen, but when those clear voices ring out into the night you can feel the expectation of Christmas.
While I was doing a bit of research about Carol singers, I discovered that Cornwall came into the equation. The first Carol service is said to have been held in Truro cathedral in 1888, organised by Bishop White Benson, who later became Archbishop of Canterbury.
Carol singers, or Wassailers, in Victorian times.
Banned by Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans, it was felt that Christmas was 'a pagan festival'. I'm so glad that Carols survived. Long before they were known as Carols, people would sing, or wassail, traditionally on Twelfth night. This was to bless the orchards to ensure a good harvest.
Many of the traditional songs were collected from Cornish country villages by Sandys and Gilbert, two men who wanted to save our heritage of old Christmas songs and who produced a song book.
It's very much part of my Christmas. Do you have 'wassailers' or Carol singers?
9 comments:
No we don’t, but it must be so nice on Christmas time, I would love to have such custom.
I've been a carol singer in my time!
Later on, when we were staying in Falmouth over Christmas we used to go into town on Christmas Eve to hear the fisherman sing the old Cornish carols. We were always sure to go home quite early; Cornish carol singing was thirsty work, and seemed to be combined with a pub crawl the long length of theain street!
We didn't go to Truro, but we really took our time in Canterbury, just like all the places we visited.
There is Christmas singing in all the churches here, it is a very nice tradition.
I bought an old sheet music of “Where Are You Going, My Pretty Maid” from the Old post office in Tintagel. Maybe it's from the Sandys and Gilbert songbook...
I wish you all the best and wonderful Advent days in Cornwell and elsewhere :-))
Hug Viola
Never heard of it. But it's nice!
Most of the carol singing goes on in churches but years ago young people would go around and sing in front of houses especially where older folks lived. Sadly that custom is no more.
I used to take my Youth Group caroling every year, people were always so surprised that teenagers would do this. They actually loved it. I miss this so much.
God bless.
When I was young we lived in a hamlet of a few houses between two villages, too far for walking but every year the Salvation Army band came and played on the garage forecourt - it always seemed very special.
There will be carol singers in my village one evening , they walk round and stop in various places to sing, but I never seem to hear or see them, even if I stand at the front door!
Sadly, no carolers here...I love to listen to them!
Happy weekend!
hugs
Donna
We do have carolers here and there but not everywhere. On our recent overnight trip there was a quartet of carolers strolling through the hotel singing. My youth group growing up would go caroling every Christmas Eve. Enjoy the Carolers
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