Christmas songs you sang at school (Nativity/Carol concert bangers)

[TheBluestEye2]

I was at primary school in the 80s/early 90s and the Apuskidusky thread has been bringing back some memories of songs we sang.

In particular I have been recalling Christmas songs we sang in our school nativity plays and Carol concerts. I recall As Joseph was a Walking, Wind Through The Olive Trees Softly Did Blow, and the Inkeeper song (Rat-A-Tat-Tat, Rat-A-Tat-Tat, No! No! No! There isn't any room).

Which Nativity Play/Carol concert bangers do you recall?

Little Donkey!

Was just coming on to say Little Donkey

I saw three ships.

Ofcourse we sang - I saw three shits.

The calypso Carol.. "see him lying on a bed of straw, draughty stable with an open door!"

We did a musical called "Only a Baby" with some lovely songs in it. I have the book still with the words and music.

Infant Holy Infant Lowly, which you never seem to hear these days.

Proper Advent hymns, like the drippy Oh Come Oh Come Emmanuel, or the one we always had the first school day of Advent - Hark A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding

Zither Carol was a favourite at Brownies

A really weird song for children to sing called ‘Kings came riding from the east’
all the boys used to shout BLOOD when it got to that part

Rat a tat tat was my favourite. But also really enjoyed The Gift (Nearly 2000 years ago, under a starlit sky, many events were taking place...). Unfortunately that first line dates it rather.

I was absolutely horrified to find out that DS, 16, who went to a C of E primary, does not know Little Donkey. How can he not know Little Donkey? It’s a primary school Christmas banger.

I’d forgotten about Wind Through The Olive Trees and Rat-a-tat-tat (also a 1989s school kid)!

I did French and German at school and whilst I can't remember much of either, I can still sing O Tannenbaum and Il est né le divin enfant all the way through!

I used to be in the junior school choir and I loved “In the bleak mid winter”.

O little town of Bethlehem, C Richard version.🙄

I’d entirely forgotten the Zither Carol!
Now I have an ear worm…

The Angel Gabriel From Heaven Came. We used to sing "most highly flavoured gravy" instead of "most highly favoured lady" in the chorus 😁

I love that one too especially the Harold Darke version.

It was on a starry night when the hills were bright

@Ethelswith oh come oh come Emmanuel is one of my favourites and not drippy

It was on a starry night was my absolute favourite. My DM used to sing it every year long after I left school. I hope my kids sing it at school

This was my answer.

My favourite song

We had a French carol, and my party piece is Entre le Boeuf et l'Ane Gris

The mention of Rat-a-tat-tat reminds me of The Search for Lodging. A conversation between Joseph and the Innkeeper. I think I learned it in the early 1970s from a school radio programme with a tie-in song book that we listened and sang along to in class every week. The winter term offerings always included a Christmas carol. A haunting tune rather than a belter.

"Lodging, I beg you, good man in the name of heaven
My wife is weary, she says she can go no further
Long have we travelled, have mercy on us, good man
God will reward you if you wi-ill gi-ive shel-te-er to-o her."

I love On a Starry Night

And Little Donkey

I loved Calypso Carol too!

You need these!

Now Light One Thousand Christmas Lights!

Love it but you never hear it now!