With Christmas just around the corner, a good friend of mine proposed that we finally (After planning and retracting for about 5 years in a row) go carolling.
I’ve never actually been carolling, but it’s always sounded like fun. She’s never been carolling either, so we’re very much the blind leading the blind here.
Have any of you been Christmas Carolling? Where did you go? We were considering nursing homes or hospitals. What kind of attire should be worn? Any song suggestions? How many people should carol in a group? Heeeeelp!
First suggestion is have a practice or two before going out to carol. Having a group of 8 or 10 or whatever stumble over lyrics, race ahead, or lag behind, is not a pretty earful. Song choices should be the more familiar ones, at least folks will know most of the words. Mix ‘em up, slow and fast ones, traditional, modern and maybe a comic one. Save your best number for the finale. When we go from house to house, you would be amazed at how well we are received. Not to mention the offered cookies, drinks, etc. I can highly recommend going to a nursing home. Everyone turns out to listen, let them know as far in advance as you can so a lot of enthusiasm will be generated. Is anyone in your potential group a musician, or professional[or nearly so] singer.Let them use whatever expertise they can spare. A guitar or violin can be put to good use. If you’ll be indoors, make use of a piano, if available. Clothing should be festive: heavy sweaters and coats, hats, long scarves for outdoors, and perhaps something a little more color-coordinated for indoors[everyone in red and white?] Make copies of the sheetmusic, or at least the lyrics for everybody. Take them with you, and use them as prompters. Nobody minds that you might have to read occasionally. If you should run into another group while caroling outdoors, consider doing an impromptu massed choir kinda’ thing or letting them sing[play]through, and then continue on their way. If you’ll be doing sidewalk caroling, try to position your group near a streetlight. This may all sound corny, but it really is a lot of fun. P.S. Take a camera, make shots of your group and your audience.
Ooh, those are all wonderful suggestions, quiltguy. We will definately practice ahead of time and I hadnt even thought about it before, but my mom heads up her churches Sunday School music worship with her guitar… I bet her guitar will come in handy as well.
We always just go from house to house. Usually, we pick an area that has several people we know, and just hit whoever’s home on the street as well. We’ll drive to a few areas.
Be sure to have hot cocoa and cookies ready at somebody’s house for afterwards!
I’ve gone almost every year since 8th grade with my HS choir buddies. We always have a blast! How musically inclined are you? Everyone was always very impressed when we did even a really basic harmony, maybe with a few people singing up a third. We always ask our listeners for requests; you’d be amazed how misty-eyed some people will get on hearing a favorite carol. People are always friendly and invite us for hot drinks and cookies.
A nursing home is good; last year a friend suggested the children’s wing of a hospital, but we never got our act together to arrange it. Sometimes we’ll go to a spot downtown in my small-ish hometown and sing in front of a bookstore, or in front of the fountain on the town square. And there are always a couple sets of parents who want a visit. Definitely wear warm clothes, including long johns and warm hats/boots! Festive colors are always fun; you could even string some tinsel around our necks or wear Santa hats, if you’re like we are and have no sense of shame.
P.S. Whnever anyone requests “Joy to the World,” we do the Three Dog Night version. It’s usually good for a giggle or two.