Oh sing, choirs of angels

Loosely translated as ‘when the cock crows at dawn’, Plygain carol services have been held in Welsh churches on Christmas Day since the 13th century, as Aeneas Dennison reports

- Aeneas Dennison

IT was two hours after midnight on Christmas Day, 1774, when, across dark, wintry fields of the Vale of Clwyd, Dr. Johnson’s friend, Hester Thrale, noticed lights being lit in cottages and scattered farmhouses. Her hosts explained that villagers were preparing for a Plygain service, which would begin an hour later.

In Welsh churches, the Plygain is a service traditionally held between the hours of 3 am and 6 am on Christmas morning. It is almost as ancient as the hills and valleys in which it takes place. In celebration of Christmas, villagers have sung carols and recited poetry in services of the similar format since the 13th century. Catholic in origin, the Plygain has survived both the Reformation and the later non-conformist movement.