It's that sort of day

( Dark Sonnet, Neil Gaiman )

...

*coughs* I'm... gonna go back to writing about rape in the 12th century now. Because that's so good for my peace of mind.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Christmas Time is Beut...

What the hell, I'm procrastinating!

That's actually the only 'Australian' carol I'm halfway fond of. Although I have fond memories of this one, which was my minister's favourite when I was in high school. The actual song's pretty twee, though.

This one I have loved since I first got my hands on the Medieval Baebes - but especially since I discovered that it is a great tradition amongst Australian uni choristers to sing the Gaudete with ridiculous things to the verses. Tt's close enough to the common metre that you can squish things in. The Australian national anthem. The Ring Poem. A random string of numbers which someone once arranged in just the right order, and which many choristers have now memorised. And the ever popular "Mary had a little lamb / she also had a duck. / She put them on the mantelpiece and taught them how to GAUDETE, GAUDETE CHRISTUS EST NAUTUS..."

And this is a new one - I first heard it last weekend, at the SUMS Carolfest. I find the idea of people running all the way from England to Bethlehem with torches somewhat amusing.

Speaking of amusing, they also performed The Angel Gabriel. I have it on good authority that there are members of SUMS who have never sung 'most highly favoured lady', preferring 'most highly flavoured gravy', or, in some cases, 'most highly flavoured lady'.

Most hated carol? If I never hear "So this is Christmas/ War is over" again it will BE TOO SOON.