Carol of the bells...

... is my favourite Christmas carol. I have a version sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir which I just love love love.

In the holiday excitement I had quite forgotten that Adele and I had planned to go to our carol service, so it's a good job she had her head in the game!

It started at 5.30 so I nipped into town for bits and bobs and a Santa sack then we met up back at the office (Adele keeps later hours than me - as do most other people lol).

We've only just begun putting up the decorations at work so the Great Hall seemed rather bare, but the 'congregation' more than made up for it. When we arrived the balcony was full and they were putting out extra chairs on the ground floor. On the stage were the staff choir and student brass band and the MC for the evening was our Quaker chaplain.

The concert started beautifully with two ladies singing in a capella Latin from the balcony. We got to join in next with O Little Town of Bethlehem and Joy to the World, followed by Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and In the Bleak Midwinter, and we finished off with O Come All Ye Faithful. All interspersed with readings from the bible and the choir singing traditional carols (you know, the obscure ones with the melodies you don't know). I think we got a bit lost in the middle of Bleak Midwinter - almost to a (wo)man we stopped singing for a verse. Nervous giggles all round!

Adele and I joined the throngs briefly for a mini mince pie and a glass of mulled wine (all that singing's thirsty work you know!) then made a quick getaway.

When I came to work this morning, a short stretch of road was blocked off so we were diverted along a residential street - it did rather amuse me watching the articulated lorry drivers trying to navigate that (though I've no doubt they weren't best pleased). Tonight a couple of miles was blocked, and lord knows how I got home (thank goodness for diversion signs), so perhaps by tomorrow I won't be able to get off the drive - wishful thinking much??

x