Caroling at work

[mtbc]

Yesterday morning I took a break from testing the next version of our Image Data Resource to join the School of Life Sciences' annual carols. Although there were many attendees, at first I was the only one from our immediate group who joined. I sing poorly but I have a churchgoing background so I was familiar enough with the words and melodies to try to encourage singing among the congregants in my vicinity. Given that we have many students and staff from overseas I suspect that it may have been some impediment to try to negotiate some of the archaic English, especially at the lively tempo: we rarely had more than a beat in between verses. The music was provided by piano, violin and saxophone, plus what I would guess was a tambourine that I heard but did not see. I was pleased that a couple of others still working on the testing looked down from the internal windows to see me there caroling and decided to come down and join in. I like to maintain what few traditions are still easy for me to come by and I rather enjoy the melodies of some carols such as We Three Kings and O Little Town of Bethlehem (to Forest Green).