We welcome in Christmas at FHS with a little insight to the fun we will have next week. The Sans Day Carol, a Cornish 15^th century tune and text, has been altered and set in many different ways over the years. There are many popular tunes with the words from this piece: “The holly and the ivy, now both are full well grown, of all the trees that are in the wood, the holly bears the crown.” However, English composer, John Gardner wrote a version which is universally loved at Christmas time. Not only does this have a jazzy, upbeat melody with a jolly, festive feel to it with cursory cheesy key changes throughout, it is sung as a canon! This means that every time the chorus tune repeats, you hear an extra echo of the same melody as the voices overlap with each other. We will have a fun time singing this on the very final day of term, complete with the hilarity of different year groups competing, ensuring their overlapping version is the one that prevails. As we head into the season of Advent, I hope you enjoy the plethora of Christmas music that exists – including this taste of Christmas jollity!

Mr Mercer, Head of Co-Curricular Music