A carol is, traditionally, a joyous dance of praise accompanied by singing and music. Carols have been performed in Europe for millennia. These pagan ‘songs’ were enacted in each season and for the solstice festivals. When early Christians supplanted the pagan winter solstice celebrations with Christmas, they replaced the traditional carols with Christian songs. This is how Christmas carols came to be, and singing and listening to them is something that is enjoyed to this day.
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I have always enjoyed watching the interactions between our cats and my students and musician friends, and seeing (and sometimes hearing!) the cats’ reactions to music. These moments are short stories in themselves. The idea for ‘The Accidental Orchestra’ came about in 2018 when my husband and I were watching our cats and imagining which musical instruments they might play based on their personalities. We were laughing about them being in a band or orchestra and what it would sound like. Five years later, here they all are in the story – Ollie’s group of friends!
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