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Sheffield Carols on Songs of praise


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Guest HallelujahAl!

I note on another thread that Jody Kruskal and pals wander around a park in The Bronx playing and singing and supping mulled cider. In Sheffield that could get you a night in the cells or a homeless shelter or hospital with pneumonia ;)

Not in my Hostel (Charter Row) in Sheffield Mike, we're absolutely chocka-block!! Though the chances of pneumonia are pretty high at the moment with our current temperatures, though obviously they're much diminished if one is fortunate enough to secure a bedspace with the SA!

:)

AL

Edited by HallelujahAl!
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  • 2 weeks later...

Around Foolow in Derbyshire they still go out round the houses and farmsteads singing to families. In the Oughtibridge area 'The Big Set' used to carry instruments round and sing all night. Jon Boden is involved with a revival around Storrs and Dungworth I understand

 

The Grenoside Sword Dancers still go on a traipse around the big houses. In the past it was common to go out for several days to collect money . The Plough Bullocks also went out round the same time at Ecclesfield. Money with menaces, if you didn't stump up they'd plough up your front garden.

 

William Kimber mentions 'everybody going out at Christmas', being hard up.

 

A bit like First Footing at Hogmanay

 

 

It obviously all served several functions such as a bit of social levelling, including everybody in the community, a bit of social license and celebration of the turning of the year.

And financial necessity often helped keep customs alive! Where's me concertina??;)

 

I remember at school, the song was

Christmas is coming (has been) and the goose is getting fat

Please put a shilling in the plough-boys hat

If you haven't got a shilling, sixpence will do .....

If you haven't got sixpence, your windows are going through

 

(cue: Steal Away - new world symphony)

All us kids used to sit in a back-room in the pub with crayons and colouring-books, listening to carols being sung.

Sweet Bells (huge intake of breath, making sure candles don't go out)

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