Do children know traditional carols these days?

[ALittleHumptyDumpty]

Sorry to mention the C word- I'm thinking more about musical education rather than "getting into the spirit early" etc.

If children have only heard carols a handful of times in their lifetime then it's not surprising if they don't know Silent Night for example but at what age do you think children start to recognise traditional carols from year to year?

Do you think it's important for children to know carols?

What about nursery rhymes?

I met a year 2 child today who only recognised the Twinkle Twinkle and Old MacDonald melodies after I told her what they were. Jingle Bells, yes, but not Silent Night.

Just curious.

So many don’t and it’s really sad.

Last Christmas we had a lovely family service in our church and the amount we saw just standing around staring gormlessly or fidgeting was unbelievable. Even if you aren’t believers (which is fine of course) these songs are part of culture and history.

My teens don't really know them. Their schools didn't do nativity plays past infants, and when they did they were bought in plays that came with their own songs. But then we did carefully choose secular state primary schools, so I can't really complain.

We are not churchgoers. I love carols and have them playing a lot over Christmas at home/in the car but no one else in the family has ever shown any interest.

My primary teaches all of them to the whole school - Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald etc. The children probably know 10+ by the time they leave.

No, we don't sing them at our church. I don't think my children have ever heard any. They don't sing them at school these days so they wouldn't ever come across them.

Mine do. The eldest sung in the church children's choir/they do an annual carol concert with school.

Mine don’t. Nor do they know any hymns. Not one. I’m not religious, but I do find that rather sad for some reason.

Classic fm will probably have carols on soon enough. Maybe from late November? (Hopefully no earlier!)

Mine were practically raised on 100 Carols for Choirs (as their father was in a decent choir at the time). They had a mixed sort of primary carol concert that usually had Once in Royal, maybe Away in a Manger, plus lots of stuff about candle and snow.

Secondary school did a full Nine Lessons and Carols. So, yes, they are pretty well versed in the trad carols.

My 5 year old does; a mix of church and school (and me singing them at the top of my voice)

Yes, mine do! They sang them at primary and they have to put up with me singing them from late november. They also take part in carol singing at community events.

My Gdcs certainly learn traditional carols at their primary school, which is C of E. I’d feel very sad if they didn’t. We’re not at all a religious family but to me they are such a major part of Christmas.

Ours did a few in primary.
Then we played them some. With the help of classic FM

Can't beat a bit of we three kings of orient are, one in a taxi, one in a car, one on a scooter blowing his hooter following yonder star,in the lead up to Christmas.

We obviously taught them the correct version first.

Mine are still little but carols aren’t a major part of our Christmas and we aren’t religious so I doubt they will recognise them once older. Not something I feel sad about really.

Have you taught them any?

We do a whole school nativity/ carol service in the church every year. The infants dress as the characters while the rest of the school sing the traditional carols at the right parts of the story . By the time they leave school I would say they know all the main carols

And nursery rhymes are so important for developing rhyme in phonological awareness so we do them in infants too

Mine knew plenty of nursery rhymes and carols as we sang/played them at home.

Do you?

@frozendaisy
Jingle Bells
Batman Smells
Robin Flew Away
Father Christmas Lost His Whiskers
On The Motorway
😁

My 'children' are in their early 30s. They don't know any carols, were never taught them at primary or secondary school (SE London), and seem do be doing well in life.

They may have been important in the dim and distance past but are irrelevant now for most people, a bit like being able to dance a waltz.

My children are young adults now, but they're familiar with most of the traditional nursery rhymes as I sang every day at home and also took them to toddler groups which had a short singing time at the end.

They all learned the traditional congregational carols at home and their primary school (which held a carol service every year in the local church).

One of them learned a selection of carols for choirs (John Rutter favourites etc) in the secondary school choir (Nine Lessons and Carols every year).

Having said that, I would say that the knowledge is weakening with each generation, even in our family. I know the alto part for most of the congregational carols from memory. My dad (former countertenor) can sing S,A,T or B (and often sings all four through the course of one carol).

I know them because I had to go to church every week as a kid. My kids probably don’t because we don’t go to church. They might know a couple from school but probably only away in a manger and silent night. And in Welsh because they’re in a Welsh school. I used to find church so very boring but I did love the Christmas carols

I kind of want to learn Silent Night in Welsh now. Off to YouTube!

If it is the 'irrelevance' that will cause their demise, then why celebrate Christmas at all? Or play any music? Or make art, dance or watch a good film...

Is it all pointless then, @Ifailed ?