Setlist - 10 Dec 2017
Evening Carol Service

Tags: carols, christmas

Our theme was 'How is a baby the answer?' this evening. I was curating the content, as usual.

It's definitely the other content that gives colour to proceedings. This year John and Christina performed spoken word pieces, I put together a video where we asked kids at the church whether a baby could save the world, and Ruth preached on the theme question.

We sing basically the same carols every year. I have a very clear hierarchy: 'Hark the Herald' very much at the summit, 'O Come All Ye Faithful', 'Joy to the World', 'Angels From the Realms' all on the every-year list, then a selection from 'Once in Royal', 'O Come, O Come Emmanuel', 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' and 'While Shepherds Watched'. Plus usually a bonus extra song - this year 'His Name, His Name' (from Isaiah 9, to the tune Finlandia).

That leaves out some carols with great tunes but weak words. We got around that this year by having the brass band play instrumental versions during the prayers and response after the sermon.

It felt quite a stress getting everything together this year. And then I broke a guitar string during 'Angels from the Realms'. Happily we run pretty much the same service in the morning next week so hopefully a chance for me to engage with a clearer head.