I’ve sung Christmas carols so long that many of them are in my memory. Silent Night, Away in a Manger, O Little Town of Bethlehem, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear—all songs I sang since I was a child, then a teen and still as an adult.

When you sing the carols this Christmas, don’t just sing. Sing as though you were there in that scene, whether it’s the crude stable, the wise men travelling through the night on camels ( who came much later), or Mary and Joseph holding their baby or just looking at him and marvelling on the gift of life,  as most  parents do, then knowing how special this baby is. Imagine yourself there as you sing.

Here’s one of my favourite Christmas carols as sung by Susan Boyle. Go here to listen.