'Untraditional' carol singing this Christmas 

Raucous singing (and some shouting), a few beers and re-imagined readings - it’s a carol service, but not quite as you know it

Neil Roberts, minister of Chelmsley Wood Baptist Church, has helped put together what he describes as some ‘untraditional carol singing’ in Birmingham and Coventry.

He and the group he’s formed - the Hedge Band - are taking carols out of the church and into three breweries and a shopping centre this Advent.

‘The idea for the Hedge Band arose from a conversation about the 9 Readings and Carols,’ Neil explains. 

‘They are very nice and all that, but can get a bit boring, especially if you’re not a churchy person and used to ’services’. 

‘I was talking to a friend, (we’re both fans of good beer), who suggested 9 Beers and Carols, and the seed was sown.’ 

It took a couple more years for the ideas to secretly form, but now the Hedge Band is ready to go.

It is based on a traditional Morris side, with Graham (the friend) now the Bard in charge of the spoken word, and Neil the Squire. They have been influenced by being big fans of Beorma, a Border Morris side who regularly dance at the community festival day at the church centre. 

The classic carols have been revisited, with some retuned alongside a mix of Black Sabbath, Mariah Carey and Wombles. Together they provide ‘songs of light, hope and joy’, the band says, and the nine readings have been reimagined using contemporary poets.

The first outing took place at the Touchwood Centre in Solihull on 30 November. There are further performances on 7 December at two breweries in Birmingham, and one at the Twisted Barrel Brewery in Coventry on 14 December.  

It’s an alternative way of sharing Jesus’ birth.

‘We’ve told you the Christmas story,’ the band states on its carol sheet. ‘Go find it, we think it’s good; full of mystery, marginalised people, hope, treasure and gritty reality…

‘Follow the star. That’s it.

‘Have a wonderful, hope-filled, light-filled and joy-filled Christmas.’

For more, see the Hedge Band on Facebook and Instagram.