Links

Here are some links which might be of interest. Some of them are duplicated on the Resources tab.

Choirs

These are the web pages of the choirs and choirmasters actively involved in the carol sings.

Chris Samuel – leads the All In Harmony choir in Bradford on Avon.

Candy Verney – Used to lead choirs in Bradford and Trowbridge and like Chris was involved in the carol sings from the beginning. From 2016 she was no longer involved as she is now working in Ireland for much of the time. We are leaving the link to her web site here as a thank you for her years of help.

Sing Alive – Similarly Sian Penlington was active in these events and this year (2019) is the first without her. Here’s a link to her Bradford on Avon choir Sing Alive choir.

Kitchen Choir – The Facebook page for Masha Kaestner’s new choir meeting in Trowbridge.

Anne Gregson – Anne doesn’t lead a regular choir but she leads the carols band and for the last few years along with Masha has led the carols choir who practice the carols in November. A music graduate from Bath Spa University she recently completed a Masters degree in composition there and together with her husband Chris Timson has also been involved in the carol sings from the beginning.

Music

Village Carols – A “non-profitmaking organisation which exists to record and promote local carol singing traditions. Its main roles are undertaking fieldwork and research, organising the collection of source material, and promoting local carol singing traditions”.

Local Carols – A comprehensive listing of carol sings in their spiritual home, the Sheffield area but also with a good listing of carol sings elsewhere in the country (including, I’m pleased to say, us).

West Gallery Music Association – Village carols are part of the world of West Gallery music and you can find out much more on this site.

Musicians

English Music Played Here – Many of the musicians play in the English music sessions in Bradford on Avon and Bath. This website describes the sessions and where to find them.

Bath City Jubilee Waits – There is also considerable overlap with the Bath City Jubilee Waits.

Other

Creating a Tradition – A very good article published in Living Tradition that tells the story of the start of our carol sings.

Folk in Our Pub – Bringing things up to date, here is an article about the carols written by our own Anne Gregson and published by English Dance and Song, the magazine of the English Folk Dance & Song Society, in their Winter 2017 issue.

Prince Albert Carollers – Before the Bradford on Avon Carollers there were the Prince Albert Carollers. Singing much the same sorts of carols as us but for much longer (since 2001) and with their own distinctive twist they were a direct inspiration for us to get going. They sing on Sundays coming up to Christmas at the pub The Prince Albert pub on the edge of Stroud. Their website is a comprehensive view of what they do.