This year, for the first time in three years, our church was able to hold its usual carol service. We had adapted quite well in the Covid years – we sang outside, spaced apart, and Nicholas accompanied us on the accordion! But it was a pleasure to return to the usual format.
The carol service is the biggest event in the calendar of our little church on the moor. Sometimes we’ve had over 100 people attend – pretty impressive in a village with 70 inhabitants! So we always pull out all the stops, and get the church looking beautiful in readiness. I added a couple of little flower arrangements to the many adorning the church this year.
A few weeks before the carol service, I was alarmed (but flattered) to be asked to sing the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City solo, to kick off the evening. I’ve always enjoyed singing, and love being part of a choir, but I have an absolute terror of singing on my own in front of people. However, this seemed like a good opportunity to challenge myself. The setting would be our very familiar and beloved church, I would be singing a well-known tune, I could practise with my organist husband beforehand, and (crucially) the church would be in darkness and the choir would be starting at the back: no-one would be watching me.
Thus I found myself one evening, a week before Christmas, standing at the back of church (not quite in darkness, bathed in the red light of the overhead heaters), trying to calm my racing heart and taking my first deep breath… The following recording, from my phone left in the choir stalls, is the result.
(Do enjoy the amusing moment when us sopranos realised that we definitely didn’t know the descant for this one – the attempt to sight-read was abandoned!)
I’m not hugely proud of the recording! I was extremely nervous, which I think is evident, and I have lots of criticisms of my performance. But I’m happy enough to post it for myself (and my tiny readership), because I am proud of having done something that was extremely brave for me!
I’m also proud of Nicholas, who did sterling work playing the organ for the carol service (when he had a dreadful cold!) and playing the organ again on Christmas morning. We even returned to church on Boxing Day, and he gave his niece and nephews some impromptu organ lessons!
A musical Christmas indeed, and (once my solo was over) a very lovely and enjoyable one.
Cryptic Meg 