In the spirit of the season, we are including a Christmas carol from Trinity Bay called Glad Tidings. The song was offered by Eric West who has recently published a wonderful book of local Christmas songs called Comfort and Joy - Christmas Songs of Newfoundland and Labrador. The book (edited and arranged by Eric West) contains twenty-six Christmas songs, including The Mummers Song, A Children's Winter, and Christmas in the Harbour. There are also six traditional carols from Trinity Bay and songs by contemporary songwriters such as Ron Hynes, Wayne Chaulk and Con O'Brien. The songs are beautifully arranged for easy piano, with guitar chord diagrams, complete lyrics, and notes on each song. This collection is ideally suited for caroling groups, choirs, schools, and sing-alongs. The book can be found at music and bookstores, or by visiting www.vinlandmusic.ca.

The lyrics for Glad Tidings were written in 1912 by Harrison John Bryant (1881-1946) of Cavendish. The melody comes from the ancient carol A Virgin Most Pure (sometimes known as The Virgin Whose Purity), which is still sung in the Trinity Bay area during Christmas. Mr. Bryant's grand-daughter, Martha Underhay, recalls "Grandfather was a carpenter all his life. He was master carpenter on a lot of structures that still stand today in New Perlican, Cavendish, Gooseberry Cove, Caplin Cove and Whiteway, to name a few. [He] was a very religious man. As a matter of fact, some of my memories of him were in his arms and he singing hymns to me. Glad Tidings is sung every Christmas in Cavendish, in both the Anglican and United Churches, and it is customary for the men of the community to go door to door for a few nights just for the purpose of singing his carol."

The tradition of Christmas caroling in Trinity Bay came from the West Country of England over a hundred years ago and is still active today in many communities in the area. Traditionally, the carolers would assemble at the leader's house on Christmas Eve and walk door to door in their community, entering without knocking, usually after people had gone to bed. They would sing their carols in the porch or kitchen, and then proceed to the next house, often finishing at dawn. People would be waiting in bed expectantly, anticipating the voices rising from the darkness. Today, the caroling usually starts before Christmas and continues throughout the holidays.