You may know that one of my volunteer roles is as Padre of 1188 (Coalville) Sqn Air Cadets. Every year I have the opportunity to lead the Christmas carol service for the cadets, staff and parents, with help from the cadets! It is always a joyful occasion and gives the opportunity to share the Christmas story and sing some carols together.
Recently a staff member asked me how I choose carols for this, and the other carol services I write, as it must be difficult to get a balance between ones people know and ones that aren’t the ones we sang last year. And so often when you go to a carol service it seems as if the same carols are sung over and over again – and in fairness people will complain (loudly often!) if their favourite isn’t included. It made me think that of all the hundreds and thousands of Christmas themed carols, hymns and songs that have been written over the years, we often seem to focus on a handful of the same ones.
When I selected this day to write about, my thoughts were immediately drawn to consider one of my favourite carols which focuses in the theme of joy - the well-known carol by Isaac Watts, “Joy to the World” but when I put “Carol of Joy” in to a search engine I was led to a carol I don’t think I have ever heard before called (not surprisingly perhaps!) “Carol of Joy”
The music for this carol was written by Dan Forrest, born in New York in 1978, who set the words from Eileen Berry’s Christmas text to music in around 2009. Both the composer and lyricist have a Christian Faith which they aim to show through their work.
This is what Eileen says on her website “I’ve always loved words and considered them to be a wonderful gift from God. It fascinates me that very simple words can be used to speak truth, give hope, and express beauty. Thank you for sharing this love of words enough to visit my site. I hope you find something here to bring you joy!”
Dan says “Whatever abilities I have, for creating beauty, are gifts from God. So I will make the most beautiful music I can, not because music-making is my ultimate end, but because I want to press my gifts to their maximum potential toward the true ultimate end: glorifying God. This is equally true of my “secular” music and “sacred” music, of my concert music and church music.
The carol itself has very poignant words which remind us that the joy of Christmas is given to everyone, especially perhaps those who need joy in their lives the most – the sinner, the sad hearted, the lonely, laden and forlorn and that to each one of us a Saviour truly is born!
Catherine Booton
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