Sing a Carol for CAFOD this Advent!
Christine from our fundraising team shares her joy of music and carol singing and describes how you can support our Advent appeal by singing
‘Silent Night’ or your favourite carol, recording it for CAFOD and sharing on social media!
“Silent night … all is calm, all is bright” Carols for CAFOD!
As we head towards Advent, it is a real joy to share my love of music and the reason why I am so excited by the idea of Carols for CAFOD!
Through the simple act of singing a carol such as Silent Night, you and I can connect with our global family here in the UK and all around the world. Simply sing Silent Night or another favourite carol with your parish, school, choir, family or try a solo and record yourself.
Once you have your video, share it on social media with #CAFODcarols and @CAFOD.
We are also hoping to create a ‘showcase’ Silent Night video and have a backing track for you to sing along to!
Carols for CAFOD! is such a simple, yet fun and effective idea and one that is open to all!
We can be one large family. We can be united in prayer and in solidarity for communities that are facing the effects of the climate crisis and who are now living the reality of what this means. We can think of families such as Nomita’s in Bangladesh as they work hard to grow crops against the backdrop of life-altering cyclones and devastating floods. We can spread the message; we can act and pray, and we can offer the Christmas gift of hope!
How to Sing a Carol for CAFOD!
Need inspiration? Download our carol sheet and read our how-to-guide!
You can also share your carol singing on our Facebook Community page and add your voice this Advent to those of people all around the world!
Be a part of CAFOD’s Silent Night video
In addition to the above, we are aiming to create a ‘showcase’ montage of Silent Night, which we hope will be released just before Christmas!
If you would like to join in, please download our backing track of Silent Night to make it easier for everyone to join in and sing in the same musical key and at the same speed!
An example of Silent Night!
It is with great humility and some embarrassment(!) that I offer my attempt of singing Silent Night – simply filmed on my mobile phone and using CAFOD’s backing track (played on my computer).
With huge thanks to my sister Jeanette, for adding her beautiful recorder playing and my colleague Thom, for his wonderful piano piece. Please join us in singing for a world full of God’s blessings!
The joy of music
Me as a child, with my first electronic keyboard!
I’ve loved playing music and singing ever since I was a little girl, and my Nan began to teach me the notes on a keyboard.
Fast forward a few years and I’m now occasionally playing the keyboard during services at my church – an activity that terrifies me but is so rewarding!
My sister and I playing the music for our Church services!
Music connects with people on different levels, can evoke memories and is a wonderful way to praise God and declare our faith. Singing is praise, singing is prayer!
The Bible and music
Hymn lyrics often powerfully quote scripture and invite us to ponder their meaning as we sing. God can speak to us, through music and the Bible encourages us to worship and give thanks through music and song:
Ephesians 5:20
“Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Psalm 95:1-2
“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”
The power and joy of Christmas music
For me, Christmas without music; carols and popular songs, just would not be Christmas! Through the words of Christmas carols, I try to join Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem. I try to imagine the incredible mix of emotions as word about a new baby king, born to save the world, travels from the shepherds and amongst ordinary people and to travellers from the East!
One of my favourite Christmas activities in my church, is our ‘Carols and Mince Pie’ event (when coronavirus regulations allow). The church family and members of the local community meet together during the first weekend of Advent, to sing carols, eat mince pies, drink non-alcoholic mulled punch and for the children to decorate the Christmas tree standing before the altar. It is a very moving and powerful experience. Young and old, church goers and non-church goers are all brought together to share in the joy of Christmas and the hope that Christ’s birth brings. It is uplifting, energising and wonderful to feel the joy in the room and to see how the music connects everyone.
Sing this Advent!
Why not consider holding your own ‘Carols and Mince Pie’ event as you record your Christmas carol for CAFOD! Have fun and raise your voices in unity with our global family!