Carol Singing 2005

The magnificent sum of £321.45 was raised by the Parish Carol Singers this Christmas.  We set out on two nights - from St Stephen's and from St Philips and followed our 'traditional' routes which each take two hours.  At the end of the evenings we stopped to talk, drink hot soup - and count the money.  This year we had a record collection of non-British coins including more than a dozen coins in euro currency, several pub tokens, a rather badly damaged rouble and a plastic barbie coin!  The sterling will be banked and cheques sent to the two charities we were supporting – ‘Whizz-kidz’, which provides mobility equipment for children with disabilities and ‘Demelza House’ - the children's hospice.

After (I think!) thirteen years organising the Carol Singing I am now stepping aside.  I reckon I'm now pretty well word-perfect on most of our carols and am even known to pitch the music relatively well on occasion!  Things have changed a lot in that time - we started doing  just two evenings, then three, and now back to two again; the choir from All Saints joined us a couple of times back in the 90s; the size of the group has varied wildly - from forty plus to four!  And of course the weather has been changeable too - but I have a hunch that we have had many more 'fair weather' nights than would have been statistically expected!

The most money we ever made was £473 over three nights in 2002 - we never quite reached the magic £500 which was my ambition!

I've really enjoyed organising it.  It's been fascinating and I will hope to carry on just as a participant in future years, but it's time to move on and encourage people with new ideas and energy to take forward this important part of our parish life.

Some - rather random - memories of the last thirteen years:

·                    the night we set out from St Philips and had gone less than two hundred metres - we            stopped to sing Silent Night and at the end of the first verse there was an incredible flash of lightening, a huge clap of thunder and torrential rain.  We ran back to St.        Philips, totally soaked and had our soup!  Total made that night £1.24!

·                    the late Betty Crane in her wheelchair being pushed up Courtenay Road singing her heart out

·                    beautiful lanterns made by the children at what was then St Stephen's school

·                    a kind man who invited us into his garage in College Road and served us hot chocolate and an impressive range of spirits

·                    a bitterly cold night, only six turned up; we were standing in the middle of the grass area on York Road, Rachel accompanying us on her recorder.  One old lady answered the door and was heard to exclaim - 'Oh, it's the carol singers - and they've got an orchestra!'

·                    a visit to 'The Haven' residential home, we sang all the verses of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' and I asked the old folks if there was any other carol they'd like to hear.  'Yes', cried one old lady, 'I'd like you to sing 'O Little Town of Bethlehem''

·                    several people who kept pots of pennies throughout the year to give us when we called.  (And pennies are VERY heavy to carry!)

·                    a car screeching to a halt beside us, a little girl leaning out to put a coin in the tin and her dad saying 'Could you come to Postley Road please - my mum's moved from Brenchley Road and she's really missed the carol singers.'

·                    doors being flung open in response to Kitty's trumpet playing 'O Come all ye faithful'

·                    trays of sherry being brought out in Dixon Close

·                    a rather grumpy man answering the door - 'No thank you - I support the lifeboats.'

·                    the lights in Courtenay Road.  (If you haven't seen them, make sure you go next year) - every year bigger and better than last, and the folks standing outside their houses collecting for their own charities.  We always stop, chat sing a carol together and make a contribution.

Regrets - yes, of course.  I'm sorry more members of our congregations haven’t joined us, I wish we could have covered more of the Parish.  My ambition was always to have a small band, the choirs of our churches and a large group of singers on the back of a big truck moving slowly along every road in the parish.  Alas, Health and Safety legislation put paid to that idea!

The overwhelming memory is of people genuinely pleased we were there, appreciating our presence and being extremely generous.  And of really good evenings doing something practical and fun with great groups of people.

John Fowler

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