View Full Version : Festive bloopers
Y Mab Afradlon
11-12-11, 10:51
I'd be interested to know everyone's opinion on this
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/12/10/this-is-no-time-for-gay-abandon-so-leave-classic-carol-as-it-is-91466-29928698/#.TuSIY7B5oMg.twitter
I was once asked by an organiser of a town community carol service (held in the cattle sheds of the local Mart coincidentally) to replace the word “sod” with “ground” in the last verse of Good King Wenceslas. Three of my Tenor section then retaliated by singing “He was little, weak, and helpless, tears and piles like us he knew;” in Once in Royal David City.
Has anyone got any similar anecdotes that will bring some festive cheer to this list?
I think 'a breast full of milk' was replaced by 'a heart full of mirth' in one ludicrously bowdlerised printed version. I'm afraid my recollections of schoolboy versions (eg While Shepherds....and it wasn't anything to do with socks) are not suitable for this august forum. Incidentally Christina Rosetti (of In the Bleak fame) was the subject of Melvyn Bragg's In Our Time a week or two ago. Good programme.
I think 'a breast full of milk' was replaced by 'a heart full of mirth' in one ludicrously bowdlerised printed version.
Yes, it was, and about thirty years ago I was in a church choir where the tenor sang that version. (Shakes head in disbelief.)
I'll be singing Christina Rosetti's Authorised Version at our midnight Eucharist on Christmas Eve.
Miles Coverdale
11-12-11, 13:46
There are two to be had in Lo! he comes with clouds descending. In verse 2 there's 'deep sea whaling' and in verse 4 there's 'High on thine external throne'. I did see the latter printed on an order of service once, which conjured up images of outside toilets for some reason. Another favourite hymn misprint (also seen in an order of service) is the very last line of Dear Lord and Father of mankind, where I once saw 'O still small voice of clam'. Last, but by no means least, is the spectacular cock up I once saw printed in Light's abode, celestial Salem, where we had 'That hereafter these thy labours May with endless girls be paid'.
Daveinnorfolk
11-12-11, 13:49
There is the, possibly apocryphalic story, of a carol singing tenor with one of our Cathedral choirs when visiting local nursing homes singing the solo v3. of Darkes in the Bleak 'Enough for him whom cherubim, worship day and night. A breat full of milk, and a manger of full of shite'
I'd be interested to know everyone's opinion on this
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/12/10/this-is-no-time-for-gay-abandon-so-leave-classic-carol-as-it-is-91466-29928698/#.TuSIY7B5oMg.twitter
I was once asked by an organiser of a town community carol service (held in the cattle sheds of the local Mart coincidentally) to replace the word “sod” with “ground” in the last verse of Good King Wenceslas. Three of my Tenor section then retaliated by singing “He was little, weak, and helpless, tears and piles like us he knew;” in Once in Royal David City.
Has anyone got any similar anecdotes that will bring some festive cheer to this list?
I've just looked at the link, and I think it's absolutely appalling. These people should not be kow-towed to, though I do understand the awkward position you were put in, YMA, and I'm delighted your tenors reacted as they did.
The important thing is that for every one of these changes, a little bit of knowledge and heritage is lost.
Think, for example of "niggard", "to welsh", "scot-free". None of these is a term of racialist abuse, but very few people nowadays seem to know that.
There is the, possibly apocryphalic story, of a carol singing tenor with one of our Cathedral choirs when visiting local nursing homes singing the solo v3. of Darkes in the Bleak 'Enough for him whom cherubim, worship day and night. A breat full of milk, and a manger of full of shite'
:yikes: I'll need to take great care not to sing that. I also have to think about the highly "flavoured" lady.
I do like MC's "deep sea whaling". Wesley of course also wrote the bicyclists' hymn, with the words "My chains fell off".
Chris Newman
11-12-11, 14:09
:yikes: I'll need to take great care not to sing that. I also have to think about the highly "flavoured" lady.
I do like MC's "deep sea whaling". Wesley of course also wrote the bicyclists' hymn, with the words "My chains fell off".
We always sang of Most highly flavoured gravy. We were too young to have such other thoughts.
Miles Coverdale
11-12-11, 14:12
Think, for example of "niggard", "to welsh", "scot-free". None of these is a term of racialist abuse, but very few people nowadays seem to know that.
Not necessarily true, actually. The verb 'to Welsh', meaning to renege on a deal, may have had its origins in the phrase 'Welshing book-maker', which in turn seems to owe its origin to a rhyme which began ‘Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief’. According to the OED, the term originated in the 1850s.
apocryphalic
Naughty!! :laugh:
Not necessarily true, actually. The verb 'to Welsh', meaning to renege on a deal, may have had its origins in the phrase 'Welshing book-maker', which in turn seems to owe its origin to a rhyme which began ‘Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief’. According to the OED, the term originated in the 1850s.
Good knowledge, Miles! Never knew that. Love that sort of stuff! :ok:
Another probably apocryphallic :whistle: story is this, "festive" in the sense of Easter rather than Christmas, hence not totally off-thread.
The Harnoncourt/Concentus Musicus Wien recording of the St Matthew Passion on Teldec includes the gentlemen of King's College Choir. Apparently they became so frustrated at Harnoncourt's finicky rehearsal of the shouts of "Barabbam!!" that on one take, they sang "Up yer bum!!" ... and if you listen carefully, that's the take that was used in the issued recording.
Presumably because it was incandescent with genuine passion... :laugh:
Not necessarily true, actually. The verb 'to Welsh', meaning to renege on a deal, may have had its origins in the phrase 'Welshing book-maker', which in turn seems to owe its origin to a rhyme which began ‘Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief’. According to the OED, the term originated in the 1850s.
My Chambers says "of uncertain origin", but without wishing in any way to denigrate the Welsh, your story may very well be true.
Serial_Apologist
11-12-11, 15:48
As a small boy, I used to think the second line of "All things bright and beautiful" to be "All Grecians great and small".
One of the psalms has as last line, "Open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it". "This line is dedicated to dentists", our choirmaster explained. :smiley:
One of the psalms has as last line, "Open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it". "This line is dedicated to dentists", our choirmaster explained. :smiley:
One's thoughts drift to Phil McCavity...
As a very small child I heard the prayer 'Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild'. Icouldn't understand why I was expected to pity mice in Plicity. I didn't like mice. Simplicity indeed.
MrGongGong
11-12-11, 17:05
and as for the folk of Swadlincote :whistle:
with the baby cheeses
As a very small child I heard the prayer 'Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild'. Icouldn't understand why I was expected to pity mice in Plicity. I didn't like mice. Simplicity indeed.:laugh:
and as for the folk of Swadlincote :whistle:
with the baby cheeses:laugh::laugh:
One's thoughts drift to Phil McCavity... Wasn't he a friend of Ben Doon? :whistle::blush:
ferneyhoughgeliebte
11-12-11, 17:11
Not at all a "blooper", at my Primary School we had a particularly ferocious Dinnerlady who used to terrify the living daylights out of us. In revenge, every Christmas 20 8-year-olds would lustily sing of a poor man, coming into sight and "carying Mrs Ewell".
Serial_Apologist
11-12-11, 17:12
As a very small child I heard the prayer 'Gentle Jesus, Meek and Mild'. Icouldn't understand why I was expected to pity mice in Plicity. I didn't like mice. Simplicity indeed.
:biggrin:
Small children can be wonderful at misinterpreting things, can't they?! My mother, bless her, kept a diary of my "sayings". It seems I developed my sense of humour quite early on. Here's a conversation between her and the 4-year old me:
Mum: "Would you like some more cake?"
Me: "No".
Mum: "No... what?"
Me: "NO MORE CAKE!"
:biggrin:
Small children can be wonderful at misinterpreting things, can't they?! My mother, bless her, kept a diary of my "sayings". It seems I developed my sense of humour quite early on. Here's a conversation between her and the 4-year old me:
Mum: "Would you like some more cake?"
Me: "No".
Mum: "No... what?"
Me: "NO MORE CAKE!":laugh: Bravo little you!
In that factional BBC film about Mary Whitehouse & the BBC, there was a lovely scene chez Hugh Carleton Greene at breakfast with Mrs CG and sprogs:
HCG: Pass the butter!
Mrs CG : What's the little word ...?
HCG: Pass the f*ckin' butter!
:smiley:
Miles Coverdale
11-12-11, 17:28
My Chambers says "of uncertain origin", but without wishing in any way to denigrate the Welsh, your story may very well be true.
According to the references cited by the OED, the term had its origins in horse-racing circles, and originally referred to book-makers who disappeared before paying out on bets. Perhaps 'Taffy' (whoever he may have been) acquired a reputation for this, and the term developed from there.
barber olly
11-12-11, 17:39
One's thoughts drift to Phil McCavity...
No doubt the appointment was 2.30
MrGongGong
11-12-11, 18:02
:laugh: Bravo little you!
In that factional BBC film about Mary Whitehouse & the BBC, there was a lovely scene chez Hugh Carleton Greene at breakfast with Mrs CG and sprogs:
HCG: Pass the butter!
Mrs CG : What's the little word ...?
HCG: Pass the f*ckin' butter!
:smiley:
I always used to ask my children what the "magic" word was when they didn't say please
then when they said "please"
say NO it's abracadabra or even "izzy wizzy lets get busy"
it soon wore off though !
:sadface:
Y Mab Afradlon
11-12-11, 18:05
Another one I remember killing me in a recording session for the BBC in the early 80's when a certain Cornish Bass Baritoine singing with a much vaunted young treble who has since carved out a career for himself as a somewhat of a personality sang in reheasal "Mark my footsteps, my good page Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage Freeze thy bollocks coldly."
Another from that era we used to sing during the Advent Carols Processsion was in verse 4 of People look East "Starsky and Hutch. When night is dim ......
Off topic, but one of our ongoing chorister jokes involved the "Noses have they and smell not" psalm. After practice, there would be bandied about many a verse about other body parts which didn't function according to plan. Even during a service, the merest gesture could and sometimes very nearly did cause the whole show to come off the road.
Chris Newman
11-12-11, 19:25
Not a Christmas blooper, but my Mum used to tell a story about me coming home from infants school where we were learning the "Lord's Prayer". Apparently I wanted to try these new "Trespasses". I had heard "Give us this day our daily bread and give us our Trespasses." I had assumed it was a new alternative to porridge or corn flakes.
And in O Jesus I have promised we all 'hope to follow Julie ... '
Loved that girl.
Magnificat
12-12-11, 00:53
What about:
Geoff's nuts roasting on an open fire!
The first Noel
The angels did say
Was to frighten poor shepherds
In fields as they lay.
VCC
Some of the early comments beg a question which returns to plague me every advent when 'Hills of the North, rejoice' turns up. I knew it by heart in my schooldays, but now all we get is some turgid watered down alteration of Charles Oakley's original vigorous words. To my dismay, not even the new English Hymnal lets Oakley's verses stand. What illness infects editors of hymn books and clergy to make them meddle in this way?
As for Christina Rossetti, if a devout Victorian maiden-lady poet could write frankly about 'A breastful of milk' I fail to see why the present liberated generation should go so coy. Choristers will supply their own words - they always have and, please God, they always will, or so the contributors to this tremendous thread suggest.
Not a Christmas blooper, but my Mum used to tell a story about me coming home from infants school where we were learning the "Lord's Prayer". Apparently I wanted to try these new "Trespasses". I had heard "Give us this day our daily bread and give us our Trespasses." I had assumed it was a new alternative to porridge or corn flakes.:laugh: such an imaginative child, Chris :biggrin:
village organist
12-12-11, 11:16
New kid on the block:
My favourite blooper in 'In the BMW' comes from a 45rpm disc; wild horses would not prod me into revealing the artistes on this classic publication but it will ever remain in my memory for the tenor singing in verse 3 "The ox and arse and camel". In the event that you recognise this masterpiece of pronunciation and have the disc would you be so kind as to PM me with details about how I can obtain a copy of the recording - an mp3 would do.
Another that I recall from many years ago originated in a service booklet for one of our Great English Cathedral with an interesting departure from the original text in the Te Deum - To thee, Cheribum and Seraphim.
Please feel assured that any future posts from this quarter will endeavour to raise the tone a little. Won't be easy.
VO
Welcome, vo. Don't worry about the tone; it usually takes care of itself. However.....
Not quite on topic, but at Christmas midnight will anyone be doing the apt setting F in Darke?
Serial_Apologist
12-12-11, 14:40
Somewhere in among the 78s my father bequeathed me is a recording of Mendelssohn's "On Wings of Song", in which the soprano starts off by singing "On songs of wing". :biggrin: I must dig out the 78 rpm player sometime and give it a go.
At my junior school, every year at the November Memorial service a two minute silence was observed. The year I particularly remember, the going craze was marbles. During the two minutes, one boy, unable to suppress a sneeze, grabbed for his handkerchief. Unfortunately it was in the pocket also containing a large number of marbles, which duly clattered onto the stone flaggings of the chapel and proceeded to roll in every direction under the feet of the worshippers. :yikes: As can be guessed, it was very sternly announced by the Head at next morning's assembly that marbles were thenceforth banned; anyone in possession of them was to hand them in, and any boy thereafter caught with them would be caned!
F in Darke
Sorry...a bit hard of hearing...Farke in Deff in fact.
from a leaflet - "all meanly wrapped in swathing bands, and in a manner laid" - really should be a comma after manner I suppose.
fsharpminor
12-12-11, 19:53
and another comma after 'and', to be accurate. One school carol service I attended had 'manager' for ' manger' throughout. Away in a manager . . .
At a carol service for which I played yesterday evening, we heard from a young girl of shepherds abidding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Magnificat
13-12-11, 00:37
Should Mr Gong Gong ever sing 'O Come All Ye Faithful' I could well imagine the refrain ( as I once heard it sung ) 'O come let us ignore him Christ the Lord.'
VCC.
PS
By the way, don't forget to 'Deck The Halls With Buddy Holly'
MrGongGong
13-12-11, 07:17
Should Mr Gong Gong ever sing 'O Come All Ye Faithful' I could well imagine the refrain ( as I once heard it sung ) 'O come let us ignore him Christ the Lord.'
VCC.
PS
By the way, don't forget to 'Deck The Halls With Buddy Holly'
:biggrin:
But I will definitely NOT sing a-en-gels ........ does that annoy you as it used to annoy the Dom when I was a chorister ?
even though it's no longer my world I still like to belt it out as it is written rather than as it is sung
:ale:
terratogen
13-12-11, 08:19
There's a certain line in 'Wake, O Wake!' that should be a lesson to us all that just one lazy consonant ending can spectacularly change the meaning of an entire phrase. I'm now far too modest to admit exactly what it is, but suffice it to say that it would be right at home with those shepherds who weren't exactly washing their socks by night.
I've also a recording (from Chichester Cathedral, perhaps?) of 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' in which the choir can't quite decide whether 'Now bring us some ______' should be followed by the usual 'figgy pudding' or by a slightly more adventurous 'gin and tonic'. In the next verse, while half the choir sing 'For we all like figgy pudding', the other half respond with 'No we don't!' I've never heard the song sung that way apart from that one recording, but I always hope to hear it repeated!
Then, while not exactly festive, there's always Richard Gere making an appearance in 'Blessed City, Heavenly Salem' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-ZnPE3G_YY), which never fails to make me laugh.
Serial_Apologist
13-12-11, 15:49
:laugh:
Thank you, terratogen.
That is the most brilliant thing to see at the end of a gruelling day!
scotiaalto
15-12-11, 17:30
Slightly off topic, I know, but I always thought that the girl who appears in Faire is the heaven might be rather fun to be with
in full enjoyment of Felicity......
Slightly off topic, I know, but I always thought that the girl who appears in Faire is the heaven might be rather fun to be with
in full enjoyment of Felicity......
Particularly when, as in the case of a choir I used to frequent, the choirmaster's daughter was called precisely that... :whistle:
:laugh:
Magnificat
15-12-11, 21:05
Seven warts on women
Six geezers laying !!
VCC
...and we'd better not mention what Joy gets up to. :cool:
My dearest darling Edward, Dec 25
What a wonderful surprise has just greeted me! That sweet partridge, in that lovely little pear-tree; what an enchanting, romantic, poetic present! Bless you, and thank you.
Your deeply loving Emily.
————
Beloved Edward, Dec 26
The two turtle-doves arrived this morning, and are cooing away in the pear-tree as I write. I’m so touched and grateful!
With undying love, as always, Emily.
————
My darling Edward, Dec 27
You do think of the most original presents! Who ever thought of sending anybody three French hens? Do they really come all the way from France? It’s a pity we have no chicken coops, but I expect we’ll find some. Anyway, thank you so much; they’re lovely.
Your devoted Emily.
————
Dearest Edward, Dec 28
What a surprise! Four calling birds arrived this morning. They are very sweet, even if they do call rather loudly – they make telephoning almost impossible – but I expect they’ll calm down when they get used to their new home. Anyway, I’m very grateful, of course I am.
Love from Emily.
————
Dearest Edward, Dec 29
The mail man has just delivered five most beautiful gold rings, one for each finger, and all fitting perfectly! A really lovely present! Lovelier, in a way, than birds, which do take rather a lot of looking after. The four that arrived yesterday are still making a terrible row, and I’m afraid none of us got much sleep last night. Mother says she wants to use the rings to “wring” their necks. Mother has such a sense of humour. This time she’s only joking, I think, but I do know what she means. Still, I love the rings.
Bless you, Emily.
————
Dear Edward, Dec 30
Whatever I expected to find when I opened the front door this morning, it certainly wasn’t six socking great geese laying eggs all over the porch. Frankly, I rather hoped that you had stopped sending me birds. We have no room for them, and they’ve already ruined the croquet lawn. I know you meant well, but let’s call a halt, shall we?
Love, Emily.
————
Edward, Dec 31
I thought I said NO MORE BIRDS. This morning I woke up to find no more than seven swans, all trying to get into our tiny goldfish pond. I’d rather not think what’s happened to the goldfish. The whole house seems to be full of birds, to say nothing of what they leave behind them, so please, please, stop! Your Emily.
————
Jan 1
Frankly, I prefer the birds. What am I to do with eight milkmaids? And their cows! Is this some kind of a joke? If so, I’m afraid I don’t find it very amusing.
Emily.
————
Look here, Edward, Jan 2
This has gone far enough. You say you’re sending me nine ladies dancing. All I can say is, judging from the way they dance, they’re certainly not ladies. The village just isn’t accustomed to seeing a regiment of shameless viragos, with nothing on but their lipstick, cavorting round the green, and it’s Mother and I who get the blame. If you value our friendship, which I do (less and less), kindly stop this ridiculous behavior at once!
Emily.
————
Jan 3
As I write this letter, ten disgusting old men are prancing up and down all over what used to be the garden, before the geese and the swans and the cows got at it. And several of them, I have just noticed, are taking inexcusable liberties with the milkmaids. Meanwhile the neighbors are trying to have us evicted. I shall never speak to you again.
Emily.
————
Jan 4
This is the last straw! You know I detest bagpipes! The place has now become something between a menagerie and a madhouse, and a man from the council has just declared it unfit for habitation. At least Mother has been spared this last outrage; they took her away yesterday afternoon in an ambulance. I hope you’re satisfied.
————
Jan 5
Sir,
Our client, Miss Emily Wilbraham, instructs me to inform you that with the arrival on her premises at 7:30 this morning of the entire percussion section of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and several of their friends, she has no course left open to her but to seek an injunction to prevent you importuning her further. I am making arrangements for the return of much assorted livestock.
I am, Sir, yours faithfully,
G. Creep Attorney at law.
:cracker:
Contre Bombarde
16-12-11, 16:14
Didn't Penelope Keith perform the above on TV?
When at university I was asked to play for Christmas morning Eucharist (Darke in E :loveblush:) at short notice because of a sudden "illness". We had time before the service for a quick run-through in the choir school of the canticles and those carols with descant. During "It came upon the Midnight Clear", the Ts & Bs made some slightly constipational sounds in verse 3, "Beneath the Angel straaaaiiiiin have rolled...". Being just a young chap of 19, I thought that I'd join in, so in the service played v3 on manuals only and at the appropriate point hit pedal bottom C with Tuba coupled down. Collapse of all parties including, bless him, the DoM:devil:
No such fun this year. I'm playing for Midnight Mass, then thanks to my worryingly talented organ scholar taking the reins on Christmas morning, we're off to Paris for Messe Solenelle at St Sulpice.:ok:
DIMANCHE 25 DÉCEMBRE: NATIVITÉ DU SEIGNEUR, Solennité
Messes à 7h00, 9h00, 10h30, 12h05, 18h45
10h30: Messe Solennelle
Organiste : Daniel Roth
Prélude (10h 15) : Improvisation sur « Puer natus est » (Un Enfant nous est né)
Offertoire : Allegro non molto – Sonate 5, F.X. Schnizer
Communion : Noël « Or dites-nous Marie », C. Franck
Postlude : Prélude et fugue en ré majeur, J.S. Bach
Audition : Pastorale, C. Franck
Improvisation sur des Noëls
Magnificat
17-12-11, 00:00
Get dressed you married gentlemen!
VCC
THE MISHEARD:
While shepherds washed their socks by night,
All watching ITV,
The angel of the lord came down,
And switched to BBC.
'Have yourself a very messy Christmas' (a poster in Holy Trinity, Stevenage).
Serial_Apologist
17-12-11, 17:49
On the canteen menu, where I used to work:
"Poached cod"
Someone had changed the c to a g.
Magnificat
17-12-11, 19:53
In view of the exorbitant price of petrol this festive season:
Joyful oily nations rise!
VCC.
Magnificat
20-12-11, 00:24
A topical joke I enjoyed from the paper:
A Higgs boson walks into a church. The priest says, " We don't allow Higgs bosons in here". The Higgs boson replies, "But if I'm not here how will you have Mass?"
And a cartoon showing the Three Wise Men outside the Large Hadron Collider plant with a security guard on the telephone saying, " I've got three posh blokes on camels out here who say they have come to adore the God particle."
Well, according to the latest weather forecast we won't be dashing through the snow with one horse, soap and sleigh this year!
VCC
Serial_Apologist
20-12-11, 12:00
A topical joke I enjoyed from the paper:
A Higgs boson walks into a church. The priest says, " We don't allow Higgs bosons in here". The Higgs boson replies, "But if I'm not here how will you have Mass?"
And a cartoon showing the Three Wise Men outside the Large Hadron Collider plant with a security guard on the telephone saying, " I've got three posh blokes on camels out here who say they have come to adore the God particle."
Well, according to the latest weather forecast we won't be dashing through the snow with one horse, soap and sleigh this year!
VCC
:laugh: Very good!
Surprised we haven't yet seen:
"God rest ye Jerry mental men"
and
"We wish you a merry Christmas
And a harpie new year"
Serial_Apologist
20-12-11, 12:05
Litttle boy to mum this morning, in our local Saint Sprees:
"Mummy, who IS Saint Knickerless?"
ferneyhoughgeliebte
20-12-11, 16:00
"Mummy, who IS Saint Knickerless?"
Someone who never appears in Pantiemime?
"Mummy, who IS Saint Knickerless?"
Patron saint of commandos?
terratogen
20-12-11, 19:19
Litttle boy to mum this morning, in our local Saint Sprees:
"Mummy, who IS Saint Knickerless?"
:laugh:
Watching a film adaptation of A Christmas Carol, I once asked my parents why the Ghost of Christmas Present didn't seem to be wearing anything under his Father Christmas robes. (Wasn't he cold?)
I suppose 'Angels We Have Heard While High' is just too easy.
Serial_Apologist
20-12-11, 20:18
Someone who never appears in Pantiemime?
BEHIND you! :smiley:
Flosshilde
20-12-11, 20:54
My dearest darling Edward, Dec 25
What a wonderful surprise has just greeted me! That sweet partridge, in that lovely little pear-tree; what an enchanting, romantic, poetic present! Bless you, and thank you.
Your deeply loving Emily.
[etc etc]
————
I heard this on In Tune, & I'm afraid it gets it rather wrong. Emily would have cut of relations with Edward very much sooner if he had stuck to the carol -
"On the first day of Christmas ... a partridge in a pear tree. On the second day of Christmas ... two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree. On the third day of Christmas ... three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree"
So by the third day, dear Emily would have three French Hens, four turtle doves, three partridges, and three pear trees. And she still had nine days to go! By the end she would have a fairly decent pear orchard, but the 42 geese would have made rather a mess of it, not to mention the cows the 32 maids were milking :yikes:
Magnificat
31-12-11, 16:54
Well, I hope Rudolph and Olive, the other reindeer, safely guided Santa's sleigh to your chimneys and you all got the presents you asked for!
If any of you will be singing Britten's 'A New Year Carol' please remember that it is levy - dew and not residue!
Those who see The Virgin Mary as an image of hope for the New Year and wish to say the 'Hail Mary' should know that the phrase used is 'Blessed art thou amongst women' and not ' Blessed art thou, a monk swimming'!
A Happy New Year to one and all.
VCC.
Magnificat
31-12-11, 17:10
PS
Flosshilde
I always thought that the gift on the first day of Christmas was a part-red gingerbread tree?!!
VCC
A festive blooper of my own. At our parish church 9 Lessons and Carols way back on December 29 1968 (oh yes I remember the exact date!) I was down, as choirboy, to read the first lesson (Genesis 3, vv 8-19). Due to my short stature and in order to see the Bible, I had to stand on a box which our Vicar had procured from somewhere. All went well in the rehearsal but was definitely not all right on the night. As I went up to the lectern, I somehow planted one foot on one side of the box in such a way that made it. and me, tip over and crash to the ground.
My only consolation,apart from the fact that I managed to deliver the lesson, is that 43 years later, the Vicar, Choirmaster and most of the congregation are long gone.
A festive blooper of my own. At our parish church 9 Lessons and Carols way back on December 29 1968 (oh yes I remember the exact date!) I was down, as choirboy, to read the first lesson (Genesis 3, vv 8-19). Due to my short stature and in order to see the Bible, I had to stand on a box which our Vicar had procured from somewhere. All went well in the rehearsal but was definitely not all right on the night. As I went up to the lectern, I somehow planted one foot on one side of the box in such a way that made it. and me, tip over and crash to the ground.
My only consolation,apart from the fact that I managed to deliver the lesson, is that 43 years later, the Vicar, Choirmaster and most of the congregation are long gone.
Oh Petrushka, your admission leads to one of mine own... Aged 5 and taking part in my very first school nativity play, back in the 50s, I was selected to be an angel. Picture a little blonde haired member of the Heavenly Host, standing on a kiddie school chair, behind the manger, in a prime performing position. Said angel, spotted Mum in the front row, and with tinsel halo increasingly slipping over one ear, really got into singing Away in a manger, with extreme levels of gusto. So much gusto in fact, that little angel weed all over the Holy Stable! One ecstatic angel, one mortified Mum, and the end of one acting career!
Happy 2012 all. Bws. Liz
Oh Petrushka, your admission leads to one of mine own... Aged 5 and taking part in my very first school nativity play, back in the 50s, I was selected to be an angel. Picture a little blonde haired member of the Heavenly Host, standing on a kiddie school chair, behind the manger, in a prime performing position. Said angel, spotted Mum in the front row, and with tinsel halo increasingly slipping over one ear, really got into singing Away in a manger, with extreme levels of gusto. So much gusto in fact, that little angel weed all over the Holy Stable! One ecstatic angel, one mortified Mum, and the end of one acting career!
Happy 2012 all. Bws. Liz
Another Christmas, another festive blooper...
My acting career ended at about the same age as I did, perhaps, take it all a bit too literally. I played Little Boy Blue who, as you know, fell asleep under the haystack. Trouble was, I really did fall asleep! :laugh:
Another Christmas, another festive blooper...
My acting career ended at about the same age as I did, perhaps, take it all a bit too literally. I played Little Boy Blue who, as you know, fell asleep under the haystack. Trouble was, I really did fall asleep! :laugh:
Wondrous! <grin>
Double Diapason
01-01-12, 20:19
A festive blooper of my own. At our parish church 9 Lessons and Carols way back on December 29 1968 (oh yes I remember the exact date!) I was down, as choirboy, to read the first lesson (Genesis 3, vv 8-19). Due to my short stature and in order to see the Bible, I had to stand on a box which our Vicar had procured from somewhere. All went well in the rehearsal but was definitely not all right on the night. As I went up to the lectern, I somehow planted one foot on one side of the box in such a way that made it. and me, tip over and crash to the ground.
My only consolation,apart from the fact that I managed to deliver the lesson, is that 43 years later, the Vicar, Choirmaster and most of the congregation are long gone.
The fall of man - or in this case boy............:biggrin:
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