Welcome to the online home of the Carolare Choir.

We were initially founded in 1933 by Billy Higginbottom and the choir now rests in the safe hands of his great-grandson, Andy Booth, a professional musician from Chesterfield. We are a mixed voice, four part harmony choir who enjoy singing a wide variety of music and are always looking for new members to come and join us.

Many people have asked us why we are called the Carolare Choir, in short, we have forgotten. However we do know that when we initially formed out of several Christian choirs the word, which was very popular in America at the time, refers to early Christian worship and songs that were accompanied by dancing.

"They have actually been around for a VERY long time. While a first century Roman bishop called Telesphorus is often credited with introducing the custom of celebrating Christmas with songs, the word "carol" derives from the Italian "carolare," a medieval ring dance accompanied by singing.

There are examples of carolare with words as early as 348 A.D. that are attributed to a Roman churchman named Aurelius Prudentius. St. Jerome wrote that carols were in use during fifth-century Christmases, and by 1223, St. Francis and his brethren were singing carols at their first life-sized representation of the nativity scene.

In England, the carolare took the form of a number of short stanzas of verse, usually four lines, followed by a shorter "burden," (later called a "chorus" or refrain) which was repeated after each verse. Soloists usually sang the verses while townsfolk joined in for the burdens as they danced in chain or circle patterns. (Church services could be pretty lively in medieval times; in fact, they were often the only show in town.)

Some have enjoyed a rather remarkable lifespan. England's "What Child Is This?" "The Coventry Carol," "God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen" and "I Saw Three Ships" date at least from Renaissance times (perhaps earlier!). So do Germany's "Lo, How a Rose" and France's "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella" and "The Holly and the Ivy" -- among others."

Extract from "On the Wavelength"