The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. Elf

I love singing

I have always loved singing for as long as I can remember

I spent much of my childhood

Performing in musicals

Singing with a choir

And recording myself singing in my bedroom

I used to plug my microphone into my HiFi

Press record on the cassette player

And sing away

As a teacher I used to love leading hymn practice

And I loved directing the school play

Nowadays I do not get to sing as much as I would like

I am toying with a couple of ideas for our Home Ed community

Starting a just for fun singing group

And putting on a small scale musical show with a group of children

I have four children of my own

All of whom would love the opportunity to be in a show

It feels like a logical way to go

I am very aware that being home educated

My children do not know all the school hymns

And Christmas carols that I knew as a child

And so this Christmas

I have compiled a list of carols that I want my children to know

And we are going to have some singing time every day of advent

To learn some festive songs

I am also going to take them to a few church carol services

As we countdown to Christmas Day

Esther has a beautiful singing voice

And I think Bea is going to be a singer also

We just need some practice!

And so here are my

Top 10 Christmas Carols I Want My Children To Know

IT WAS ON A STARRY NIGHT

I adore this song!

It is one that I know from my own childhood

One I have used in a school nativity that I wrote when teaching

It is just a wonderful joyful song

That is easy to sing

It also now reminds me of our star in the sky

Matilda Mae

AWAY IN A MANGER

A song as old as time

A song I have sang so many times

At school

In church

On my own

With friends

With a choir

It is a song I have learned to sign

That Esther and William signed in a school nativity

It is the song that I could not sing

After Tilda died

I could not make the words

Come out of mouth

Only tears and sobs

As I heard the words of this beautiful carol

This is a children’s carol

And it must never be forgotten

LIFT UP LIGHTLY THE STABLE BAR (CAROL, GAILY CAROL)

I remember the words and melodies

To every song in a A&C Black song called

Carol Gaily Carol

I was Mary in a nativity play

At Episkopi Primary School

In Cyprus

Many many years ago

And all the songs used in that play

Were taken from this book

I have had great fun teaching my classes these songs

At Christmas times in recent years

And now it is time to teach them to my own children

I wonder if you know of any of them?

Some of my favourites are:

Now Tell Us Gentle Mary

the classic Little Donkey

Here We Go Up To Bethlehem (to the tune of Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush!)

Joseph is Sad as He Travels the Way

Standing in the Rain (very funky for a school Christmas song of its time!)

There Isn’t Any Room (Rat-a-tat-tat!)

Come They Told Me (Parum Pum Pum Pum!)

O Come Little Children (based on a German carol)

Go Tell It On The Mountain

Lift Up Lightly The Stable Bar (my absolute favourite to this day!)

Under Bethlehem’s Star So Bright (Hydom, hydom, tidlidom!)

IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER

I love this carol

There are so many hauntingly beautiful versions of it

I think is my favourite

LULLY, LULLA (COVENTRY CAROL)

When I was 9 years old

I sang this in my parish church

I wore a beautiful tartan dress

It was from Marks and Spencer

Bought for me by my aunt and uncle

I stood at the front of the church

On my own

And with no accompaniment

I sang the Coventry Carol

My Grandad was there

And I was so incredibly nervous

But so incredibly proud

I have loved this carol ever since then

Until this day

A very special Christmas memory

SILENT NIGHT (STILLE NACHT)

Growing up in Germany

This is another favourite

Laden with memory

I also used to sing this to Tilda as she was feeding to sleep

In German

ONCE IN ROYAL DAVID’S CITY

This beautiful carol I love to sing

I have sung the first verse solo before

Though it is usually a boy that does that

I remember a boy I was friends with

When we were Guides / Scouts

Singing this so beautifully

His name was Matthew Booth

THE HOLLY AND THE IVY

This is a family favourite

The children always ask for it

I have no memory of particularly liking it

Until my own children discovered it

O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM

I love this carol

This and O Holy Night

Carols I often find myself singing

Without realising how or when I started

Songs to be sung by candlelight

Songs to sing softly

With heart and feeling

Magical beautiful carols

DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH

LOVE this song!

So many memories of trying and failing to sing this

Particularly with a class of children

Such a wonderful carol

But hard to get right in the primary classroom

Really looking forward to having some fun with this one

With Esther, William and Bea

And one for luck?

JOY TO THE WORLD

This song is full of joy

Full of gusto

And never fails to make me feel festive

A wonderful Christmas tune

I actually want my children to know them all

As many Christmas carols as we can discover and enjoy and share

They are such wondrous and important songs

They have played such a huge part in my life

And I would hate for the tradition of caroling to be lost

I hope that I can play my part

In passing the music on

As for generations upon generations

The words and music of the Christmas story

Have been passed down before us

As they should be

As they should be

So, please tell me

What is your favourite Christmas carol?