Recently, a door bell camera captured five young lads from Falkirk singing Last Christmas.
The video went viral and has been described as ‘Scotland’s Christmas Advert’ and captured the hearts of a nation.
That song by Wham! could be described as a modern day carol.
This morning, I’m taking the train from Waverley to London for a biennial charity Carol Service at Westminster Cathedral. It’s for a charity of which I’m a patron.
And Carols have long been connected with generosity.
From Victorian times, groups of singers would go door‑to‑door, offering music in exchange for donations to those in need.
Singing could bring comfort, and the money raised could make a real difference.
That continues today, and there is something deeply human about that.
Community
When we stand with others, lifting our voices together, we are reminded that we are part of a community.
It doesn’t matter if we can’t carry a tune perfectly – it’s the joining together that matters.
That sense of belonging, of shared joy, is at the heart of the tradition.
And to amaze your friends at Christmas parties, you can tell them that the oldest known English Christmas‑carol manuscript, dates from 1426, and lists twenty‑five “caroles of Cristemas.”
The word “carol” comes from the Old French fora circle‑dance with singing. In medieval Europe: people would gather in festival celebrations, dancing and singing together — sharing joy through movement and music.
So, every time you sing Hark! The Herald Angels Sing or The First Noel, you’re taking part in a tradition that is at least six centuries old.
Even just last week, some pals of mine took me along to the Muppets Christmas Carol at the Usher Hall here in Edinburgh. The place was packed and at the end the crowd gave it in a huge, happy applause.
So, as I step on the train this morning to get to another kind of Christmas carol service, I’ll be taking with me the voices and music of the past, and the present, and hopefully of a better future too.
This Thought for the Day broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland on 9 December 2025.
