Making the most of the feast of the Epiphany being celebrated once again on a Sunday, this should be an opportunity to sing carols that specifically reference the coming of the Magi. Of course, you can sing them at other times and lots of places do but I always associate ‘We three kings’ with Epiphany only.
So, what did we sing?
- Sung on 22 occasions – We three kings; The first nowell
- Sung on 11 occasions – As with gladness men of old
- Sung on 7 occasions – What child is this
- Sung on 4 occasions – Gifts of bread and wine; In the bleak midwinter
And the rest of England
- Sung on 43 occasions – We three kings
- Sung on 27 occasions – The first nowell
- Sung on 23 occasions – As with gladness men of old
- Sung on 14 occasions – What child is this
- Sung on 8 occasions – Bethlehem of noblest cities
- Sung on 4 occasions – Songs of thankfulness and praise
Well that’s fairly conclusive! I don’t think there’s ever been such a clear result. There was only one place that didn’t sing either ‘We three kings’ or ‘The first nowell’. Lots of places sang both. And a significant number of places split one or other of these and sang half at one place and the rest later on
And, thankfully, the church where there was nothing Christmassy at all last week came back to it this time.
Music, Liturgy and ME 