Carol Singers - a tradition slowly dying out

Last night shortly after 9pm I had a visit from some carol singers. There were about a dozen or so 20 -30 somethings who actually sang very well and in tune. They also had a repertoire of the proper traditional carols, not just Christmas songs and instead of collecting money, they were handing out the mince pies with brandy cream and chocolates! What a refreshing change and you may well ask why they did this. The answer is quite simple, they are from the local church which is called Pip'n'Jay (it used to be St. Philip & St. Jacob). I did visit there many years ago but although very friendly, it is a happy, clappy church which doesn't really appeal to me as I prefer very high church because that is how I was brought up.
Anyway, last night was a huge contrast to the local scruffs that came carol singing about seven years ago. It was very early in December when there was a knock at the door about 5:30pm and when I opened it there were three very scruffy young local lads murdering their version of 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas'. Of course I reprimanded them for two reasons. Firstly, I told them it was too early for carol singing and secondly, I was not going to cough up for an out of tune rendition of something that wasn't even a carol. They looked quite shocked on hearing the truth. I told them that if they really wanted to earn money from carol singing, they could come back in three weeks time on the Saturday before Christmas at 6:30pm and if they sang three proper carols in tune, I would give them £10. I told them it didn't matter how many came, whether it was only one or twenty one, I would pay £10 for three carols.
They went away mumbling and to be honest, I didn't expect them to return. Nevertheless, I made sure that I collected £10 one pound coins and put them to one side. I told my grand-daughter who was about five at the time, that we may get some boys coming round specially to sing carols to us when she came to stay for the week end just before Christmas. A week or so later I noticed these three lads huddled together at the end of the road studying a sheet of foolscap paper. I realised that they were probably trying to learn carols from a sheet which they must have got from school and I was right because on the following Saturday, they turned up at the door. I pointed out that they were a week early and told them to return the following week, which they did.
My grand-daughter and I were waiting and right on time there was a knock at the door. When I opened it there were only two lads. "Where's your mate?" I asked. "His Mum's grounded him" came the reply. "Right then. If you both sing three carols, you'll get a fiver each" says I. You can imagine my surprise when they sang 'Once in Royal David's City' followed by 'Away in a Manger' both of them mostly in tune. However, when they started 'While Shepherd's Watched Their Flocks' I had to stop them because they didn't really know the tune and being aware of this, their voices were getting quieter. "Right!" I said, "I'll help you out with this one because you're not getting the money until you've finished it. A deal's a deal!" So we all sang the last one together and I handed them the cash. They went off quite excited with £5 each and I hoped that they had learned a lesson that you don't get something for nothing!
I don't think local kids will come around carol singing anymore as the local school does not have carol concerts or Nativity plays. This is because the majority of the pupils are from non-Christian faiths.