CHARITY Wren Music is leading the west country effort to revive traditional carols across Exmoor, North and West Devon.

Centuries-old ‘village’ folk carols that were once a local tradition across the South West are being revived in a lottery-funded project that aims to ensure they’re never lost again.

Wren Music will be teaching one of the carols from each of the areas to local primary schoolchildren at Cutcombe and Exford, Timberscombe, and Dulverton schools, where children will learn one of the Exmoor carols and write a new Christmas song. 

The charity will also be holding carol singing workshops, where people can learn a village carol in the afternoon before going out carol singing with the Wren Music singers in the evening.

The project kicks off on Saturday, November 9, with a day of carol singing training at Filleigh Village Hall, Barnstaple, which will be followed by an evening concert by The Melrose Quartet from Sheffield, who’ll be singing some of the famous Sheffield Village Carols.

The Exmoor carols workshop will be at Moorland Hall, Wheddon Cross, on Saturday, November 30, from 2.30pm to 6pm, followed by community carol singing. 

Marilyn Tucker from Wren Music said: “We’re thrilled to have this opportunity to pass on these carols to a new generation.

“A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who plays the National Lottery, for making it possible.”

The Filleigh Village Hall opening workshop will take place on November 9 from 10.30am to 4.30pm and will cost £35, or £20 for concessions, and the concert is from 8pm to 10.30pm and costs £12, or £8 for concessions, or £42/£23 for both events.

To book your place at the launch event or one of local carol singing workshops (cost £5) visit the Wren Music website. www.wrenmusic.co.uk