Could You Turn Your Hand to a Children’s Carol for 2017? by Trevor Thorn

Still ten of the days of Christmas to go, so here’s a challenge to turn your hand to something a bit different whilst Christmas is still with us: or at least start you thinking.

For reasons I won’t go into here, I’ve been drawn into writing some songs suitable  for primary school children - and it’s proved a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

I, therefore, fell to wondering if through various networks of Christian writers, we could generate a new collection of children’s carols for 2017. Does that appeal to you?

We’d need some simple guidelines - so here goes: let’s have

*Songs that celebrate the Bethlehem story from the Prophecies to the early childhood of Jesus

*In language accessible to children up to ten years old 

*With a score that would be usable in assemblies and all-age services

*Not more than 24 lines long (although a chorus counts only once)

* Original tunes OR tunes that are DEFINITELY out of copyright

We’ll see what happens - but they can at least be published on my blog, The Cross and The Cosmos which you can find at http://crossandcosmos.blogspot.co.uk/

You will also find the sort of carol I have in mind at http://crossandcosmos.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/angel-told-shepherds.html

We used ‘An Angels Told Shepherds’ just last week with a local primary school: you will see how simple it is, and 300 children and parents clearly thoroughly enjoyed it (sometimes you don’t need formal feedback reports!).

Oh yes, and if anyone wanted to accompany their offering with a You-Tube video, that would be great, too.

So why not have a go? Send texts in Word format and scores as a PDF to crossandcosmos@gmail.com at any time until the end of November 2017.

And do feel free to pass this to other networks of Christiamn writers, authors and songwriters.