Christmas Carol? Christmas Hymn? - Chandler's Ford Today

The term ‘carol’, as generally used, includes some items that appear in hymnbooks and are sung by congregations – such as Away in a manger and Once in royal David’s city.

The term is also used sometimes for items that are not congregational hymns.

Some would not normally form part of a church service – such as We wish you a happy Christmas or Past three o’clock.

Some carols are definitely pieces for choirs rather than for general singing.

St. Boniface Church Carol Service: Sunday 21 December (6.30pm)

Nine Lessons and Carols at St. Boniface on 21st December this Christmas with Hugh Benham.

The St. Boniface Carol Service on Sunday 21 December (6.30pm) includes many familiar carols in the first sense, including Hark, the herald angels and O come, all ye faithful, and several short choir pieces, including John Rutter’s arrangement of The Sans Day Carol and Harold Darke’s setting of In the bleak midwinter.

There is of course a hymn-type carol with the words In the bleak midwinter, with a tune by Gustav Holst, the composer of The Planets’ Suite.

At St. Boniface I play for various Christmas services, but there is one really major carol service – the ‘Nine Lessons‘ referred to above.

We also have a special Advent carol service.

I like most of the Christmas ‘hymn-carols’ – but particularly ‘O come, all ye faithful’ and ‘Hark, the herald angels’.