A crowd is gathered round the piano, singing carols. Carols are perhaps the only form of religious poetry which most people have any knowledge of, or positively enjoy!

Pub carols - carols which have survived outside hymn books - are probably the last genuine living folksong form in Britain today. The heart of this tradition lies in pubs between Sheffield and Barnsley, in places whose names are unmistakably northern: the White Hart in Oughtibridge, the Black Bull in Ecclesfield and the Royal Hotel in Dungworth, for example. But other pubs, and other areas, also continue to celebrate this pub-carol tradition.

Records and CDs are available of this wonderfully lively singing are available, but if you want to find out more, then words and midi files to many carols are available at the Traditional Village Carols website at
http://www.tromboni.demon.co.uk/carols/carols.html.

· Many of the tunes testify to their local origin: 'Spout Cottage' is named after a house in Stannington, outside Sheffield. 'Jacob's Well' is for a hymn written by Hugh Bourne, the founder of the Primitive Methodists. It contains a vision of Christ walking through the landscape of Britain (like Blake's 'Jerusalem')

'The ancient well (no glass so true)
Britannia's image shows,
Now Jesus travels Britain through,
But who the Stranger knows?'

· The tradition behind many of these hymns is known as West Galley singing. For more information, including sheet music and sound samples, see http://psalmody.co.uk/index.html