Candlelight and carols

Holy Trinity church is empty again, as the last of the unexpectedly large congregation trickle out into the wind and rain this evening after our carol service. A glorious evening of singing and reading and children and camels (well, one camel: its sibling met with a fatal accident some years ago now) and candlelight. Our own choir, 8+1, took part, and Mr PB recovered his voice in time to sing his own solo at the beginning of Clydeside Christmas Eve - I'd learned it in a hurry this voiceless morning. 

This carol, by the way, with words by Donny O'Rourke and the original tune by Dave Whyte, seems even more appropriate this year than when I first heard it in 2006 - "babies born in Bethlehem, bombed in the name of peace" has a vivd resonance tonight. It made my hair stand on end to sing John McIntosh's arrangement. You can read about its first performance here.

My extra photo is of the full church during the final carol. There are bubbles ...