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2026: once again the carols are in the pubs!
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2010 was the first year of singing unusual and local carols in the pubs of Bradford on Avon and over the years these wonderful events have become loved by many. Of course in 2020 we weren’t able to sing in the pubs but we were able to have an online Zoom event which worked surprisingly well (see a video of the event here<\/a>). In 2021 the pandemic was still causing everyone problems but we did manage one outdoor sing in the garden of the Dog & Fox on the 19th December. Our purpose in both years was to maintain some continuity so that when we returned to the pubs in 2022 we had kept the tradition alive. This year and we hope for many years to come the tradition continues!<\/p>\n

Learn the Carols with the Carols Choir<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

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Come to the learning sessions at 3pm every Saturday in November\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

That’s the 7th, 14th and 21st November with a special session<\/strong> on the 28th November with the Carols Band!<\/p>\n

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The Dog & Fox<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1RT<\/strong><\/p>\n

This is a continuation of the very successful singing group<\/a> started in 2017 by Anne Gregson and Masha Kaestner to learn the carols together with their harmonies ready to sing in the pubs in December.\u00a0 If you’ve come before then come along and refresh your memories of the songs. If you’ve never been before come along anyway. The session is free and all parts will be taught \u2018by ear\u2019 so you don\u2019t need to be able to read music and what’s more this year we’re adding a new carol called “Green Hills” to the repertoire.<\/p>\n

You will find the session in the Club Room behind the pub.<\/p>\n

Not to be missed, the final session will have the Carols Band playing and accompanying the singing. All are welcome whether you’ve been to the earlier session or not. You’ll be taught the carols and get a real flavour of the carol sings ready to sing in the pubs. For further information about the carols themselves see the Learning<\/a> page on this website.<\/p>\n

Then come and sing them with us!<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

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Sunday 6th December 2025 from 5.00pm<\/strong> at<\/p>\n

The Castle Inn<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

10 Mount Pleasant<\/strong>, Bradford On Avon, BA15 1SJ<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note the later start time of 5pm as compared with the other venues<\/p>\n

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Sunday 13th December 2026 from 4.00pm<\/strong> at<\/p>\n

The Dog & Fox<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ashley Road, Bradford on Avon, BA15 1RT<\/strong><\/p>\n

We will be singing in the (sizeable and very comfortable) Club Room at the pub.<\/p>\n

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Sunday 20th December 2026 From 4.00pm<\/strong> at<\/p>\n

Bradford Town FC <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Trowbridge Road, Bradford on Avon,BA15 1EX<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the second year, we will be singing in the main hall and bar at the club grounds.<\/p>\n

A singing ‘tradition’ … <\/strong><\/p>\n

Every year since 2010 we have had some wonderful sessions in what is becoming a continuing tradition of singing local ‘village’ Christmas carols in pubs in Bradford on Avon. So as our new ‘tradition’ becomes more firmly established this website will tell you all about what happens, where and why. You can hear some of the carols and see video. You can read learned discourse upon the history of the carol or just let the music wash over you. Come on in, the water’s lovely!<\/p>\n

The Carolling Tradition<\/strong><\/p>\n

You might think that the standard Christmas Carols you have sung since childhood are all the carols there are. So you might be surprised to know that there is a long and rich heritage of people singing Christmas carols from their own particular part of the country which are now largely unknown. Even the Christmas carols you do know were sung to many different tunes – some people estimate that there are at least four hundred<\/em> different tunes to While Shepherds Watched for example. In fact, carolling was not even restricted to Christmas but singing carols was a popular part of religious festivities throughout the year. Maybe that’s why in everyday language we will not just talk about carols but specifically about Christmas carols. Many of these carols originated in the 18th or early 19th century at a time when most churches had a wooden gallery at the back where choirs, accompanied by bands of mixed instruments, led the singing.<\/p>\n

Christmas carols in particular also became linked with traditions such as Wassailing, which involved visiting farms and houses and singing in return for refreshment. These visits also contained folk elements that some would recognise as having pagan origins.<\/p>\n

In some parts of Britain, these traditions have been kept alive. The mass singing in some of the pubs in North Sheffield and North Derbyshire, which takes place in the second half of November and all December, and which are often referred to as ‘The Sheffield Carols’, has been described as one of the most remarkable instances of popular traditional singing in the British Isles.<\/p>\n

Carols in Bradford on Avon<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Bradford on Avon, a town rich with history and tradition, we are continuing with our effort to get singing of unusual and traditional Christmas carols back into the pubs of Bradford on Avon. Some of our local singing leaders and folk musicians, many of whom are veterans of the Sheffield tradition have once again got their heads together to arrange three singing events for this year, plus a free singing group to learn the carols in more depth. All the sings are open to all comers and will have the Carols Band providing music:<\/p>\n