Music group are reviving carols of yesteryear

WREN MUSIC BRINGING BACK TRADITIONAL FOLK CAROLS

THEY were once sung out in the streets and on the farms around the remote towns and villages of West Devon and now, the 'West Devon Carols' are about to be heard again.

The West Devon Carols are distinct to the district and became popular towards the end of the 19th century, when most locals would have been familiar with them - although documents suggest their origins go back much further.

Many of the carols have been lost through the passage of time, but five have been revived by Okehampton organisation Wren Music.

To ensure they never get lost again, the music charity is holding a workshop in December for a new generation to learn them, before performing them as part of a Folk Carols by Candlelight concert at the town's St James Chapel.

"At one time, these carols would have been well-known and sung throughout communities in West Devon, where there was a strong tradition of village carol singing," said Marilyn Tucker from Wren Music.

"The carols are different to the carols that are popular today, they're more folksy, and are from the non-conformist tradition of this area. They would have been more at home being sung out and about, rather than in a chapel.