Let’s Go Caroling!

The one thing that I’ve missed more than anything else during this Covid time is singing together as a congregation. Christmastime isn’t Christmastime without carols, and caroling is all about singing together. We can still make Christmas caroling happen, though, by using a website!

I’ve started learning a new website called Easy Virtual Choir, and it does indeed make it pretty easy to put together a virtual choir.

I would like as many people as possible to sing three Christmas carols together. All you need is a set of headphones that you can plug into your laptop or computing device and a laptop or computing device that either has a built-in microphone or has a microphone plugged into it. And hopefully, your laptop has a built-in camera so we can see you, too. Easy Virtual Choir seems to work best if you use Chrome as your web browser.

Below you will find links to three Christmas Carols to join in singing. This isn’t about having a good singing voice — this is about how when you get a big group of people all singing together, it simply sounds great! So let’s get as many of us as possible joining in!

When you click on a link below, it will take you to a home page for the song. From there, click on the big blue “Song Studio” button in the upper righthand corner. On the next page, click on the blue “Add Track” button.

You can choose as many as six tracks to sing along with using the menu for the left half of the screen. On the righthand side you’ll see your lovely self! If you like, you can check your recording settings by clicking the grey “Recording Settings” under your image. This will let you double check that your microphone is on and you’ll be able to listen with headphones.

Then just put your headphones on, make sure you have the words in front of you, and then click the green “Start Recording” button! It will stop recording automatically at the end of the song.

Please join in! Help your kids join in! Encourage your UU and UU-adjacent friends to join in! All together, now!
Links to the carols along with the words to sing for each are below.

Blessings of peace and renewal be yours as we celebrate the winter holidays and look to the turning of the year!
Rev. Joe

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
https://easyvirtualchoir.com/song/89655
Words: Edmund Hamilton Sears
Music: Richard Storrs Willis

It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, to all good will, from heaven the news we bring.”
The world in solemn stillness lay to hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come, with peaceful wings unfurled;
and still their heavenly music floats o’er all the weary world.
Above its sad and lowly plains they bend on hovering wing;
and ever o’er its Babel sounds the blessed angels sing.

But with the woes of war and strife the world has suffered long;
beneath the angel-strain have rolled two thousand years of wrong;
and we who fight the wars hear not the love song which they bring.
O hush the noise of battle strife, and hear the angels sing.

For, lo! the days are hastening on by prophet bards foretold,
when with the ever-circling years comes round the age of gold:
when peace shall over all the earth its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world give back the song which now the angels sing.

Angels We Have Heard on High
https://easyvirtualchoir.com/song/89824
Words: Earl Bowman Marlatt

Angels we have heard on high sweetly singing o’er the plains
and the mountains in reply echoing their joyous strains. Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains prolong?
What the gladsome tidings be? Which inspire your heavenly song?
Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

See him in a manger laid whom the angels praise above;
Mary, Joseph, lend your aid, while we raise our hearts in love.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo. Gloria, in excelsis Deo.

Joy to the World
https://easyvirtualchoir.com/song/90090
Words by Isaac Watts

Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her king!
Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing, and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.

Joy to the earth! Now gladness reigns: let hearts their songs employ,
while fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains repeat the sounding joy,
repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy.