More Carolling about

For those of you still in the mood for some carolling, or yet to get fully into the swing of things, then be very encouraged to join the throng down (or up depending how you approach that hill) at The Prince Albert, Rodborough on the outskirts of P.R. Stroud.

The gathering features a notably strong Magnificent presence with many blokes venturing from far and wide to join the throng and partake of the good ale, hearty singing and great company that devour pieces from the "Gallery Carols" tradition.

Much more information can be garnered from the rather excellent http://www.albertcarols.uk/ which has been lovingly put together by a certain Bill H and is a treasure trove about the event and the sub-genre and is well worth a read.  You can find all the materials you need to get all the carols so you can go fully prepared.

Here is some blurb shamelessly lifted directly from the site "The Prince Albert Carol Consort (PACC) came out of discussions in the pub during 2001 among a group of regulars who’d a fondness for singing but no shared repertoire. We described ourselves then, and still do, as drinkers with a singing problem. Some among us are knowledgeable English music singers and instrumentalists and they talked of the surviving traditions of village carols in Yorkshire, especially around Sheffield, and parts of N. Derbyshire and Cornwall. Singing and drinking ticked the essential boxes for us so we resolved to learn some village carols and sing them in the Albert at Christmas."

It is a fabulous resource for a fabulous endeavour and another shining example of a triumph of enthusiasm over the odds that has built many years of special shared moments and lasting friendships.  Rather like The Magnificent AK47...

Sing your way through Yuletide

Continuing with the "Tis the season to be singing" meme we would once again like to draw your attention to a couple of extremely worthwhile seasonal singing events and encourage you to get yourself down there. . . 

Firstly there the fabulous Prince Albert Carolling with many a Magnificent Stroudie there

singing their little socks off as well as one or two out-of-town Magnificents tagging along for the craic, as witnessed last year with quite a decent turnout out of blokes. See the pub website  http://www.theprincealbertstroud.co.uk/event/unsual-carols/ for some more details.

And not to be forgotten, if somewhat further afield there is another pocket of enthusiastic and energetic singers led by our belovéd ChoirMeister in his home town of Bradford on Avon as part of the West Gallery music and Sheffield traditions of pub carol singing.  See their handy website  http://www.bradfordonavoncarols.info/ for more details.

And finally, to top the day off you could wander along to the Ashton Keynes Village Carol Service at Holy Cross Church at 18:00 when the church will be full of candles and they are offering mulled wine and mince pies afterwards to completely get you in the festive mood after all that singing.

We hope to see as many familiar faces as possible throughout the day

Tis the season to be jolly

Indeed, 'tis the season to be Jolly, or working from left to right, Holly, Biggy, Chickeny, Cheery, Grumpy, Smily, Phoney, Sneezy...

All captured in action at the latest "Beer and Carols" evening in The White Hart pub this past Thursday evening.

There were the usual traditional and well-known carols added to by our less well known, though possibly even more traditional pieces, such as Gaudete, Malpas Wassail, Hail Smiling Morn and a new one for this year, The Boar's Head Carol.

And this year in particular we were joined by one or two ladies from the village who sang some beautiful descants to some of the pieces.  All great fun and a great way to really start getting into the Yuletide spirit.  

And talking of which, don't forget the other places with connections to The Magnificent AK47 singing lots of interesting carols, namely

The Bradford on Avon Carollers, featuring our belovéd ChoirMeister - see more details at  http://www.bradfordonavoncarols.info/ and 

The Prince Albert Carol Concert featuring many Magnificent Stroudies and alike at the Prince Albert in Rodmarton up the hill from Stroud or down the hill from the common - see http://www.theprincealbertstroud.co.uk/event/unusual-carols-2/

Whatever you do, get along to one or more of these great gatherings.

The Prince Albert Carol Consort

There is no getting away from it, Christmas is coming and the Yuletide festivity season is descending upon us and what better way to celebrate the depths of mid-winter and the return of the sun by singing with a load of great people, in a warm pub with a bit of grub inside your  belly and a drink in hand?!  And we know the very place to do it.

Oh, so we better tell you more, hadn't we?! . . . The place to be is The Prince Albert in Stroud(ish) every Sunday lunchtime for spot of great pub nosh and fine old sing song of carols that you will know and others that will be less familiar but with plenty of familiar faces from The Magnificent AK47 crowd.  

To find out more visit http://www.theprincealbertstroud.co.uk/whats_on.php and tell them we sent you!