Ding dong, it’s Christmas

This is my 6^th Christmas in Australia. I’m sort of getting the hang of doing the BBQ thing because it’s too hot for lasagne. I am still not used to being sweaty and dusty on Christmas Day. And Christmas lights when the sky is light until 10p make me chuckle.

One of the things I have enjoyed in the last few years is singing Christmas Carols – sometimes the tunes match the tunes I know, sometimes the words match the words I know, sometimes it all matches (wooohoooo!), and there have been some totally new to me carols. 

Now in Anglican hymnals they often have the music without the words aligned to it, which makes sight reading a new hymn a bit tricky. Often when there’s a word that gets lots of notes, it’s a complete surprise to me and I usually end up laughing my way through. So you can imagine how it worked the first time I was in church for what is now my new fave Christmas Carol: Ding Dong Merrily on High. Every place it’s been sung (and there have been a few in my experience so far), this carol causes even the most reticent singer to belt it out with gusto. I think that’s part of why I love it.

Here’s a picture straight out of the bulletin so you can see what it looked like on the sheet (the words were already enough to make me giggle):

And here’s what it sounds like (courtesy of a Melbourne Choir, in a Melbourne venue): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXPoYbvvSzI

and another choral version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzc2TUNPA4I I find it hilarious watching serious choral singers sing "swungen" :^)

Now go get your gloooooooooooooooooooooria on, while you are swingen, swungen and sungen! Merry Christmas!