As you prepare for Carols by Candlelight, what are your favourites?

Not being privy to the program of this year's The Canberra Times Carols by Candlelight I can't provide any specifics. But Christmas music - old or new, sacred or secular - not only evokes pleasant memories of family and fellowship but is often genuinely appealing in melody and mood, regardless of religious affiliation or lack thereof.

And there are lots of them. I love the solemn serenity of Silent Night, the dignified high spirits of Joy to the World and Hark! the Herald Angels Sing and the hypnotic power of We Three Kings.

Not all the classics are old, of course. Even if, as Philip Roth noted, White Christmas is about the weather than the reason for the season, Irving Berlin's perennial retains its appeal. Like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, it's a reminder that family and memories have a big part to play, if we're lucky, and that we don't always get what we want.

Always ensure you keep the punctuation and emphasis straight in God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen. The title (and first line) is asking the Almighty to grant said gentlemen - maybe nowadays that should be "gentlefolk?" - happiness and peace. "God rest you, merry gentlemen" (an early variant, but not standard now) sounds like a polite way of telling Christmas party revellers to go to bed. "Rest you merry" is an archaic turn of phrase, but if it was good enough for Shakespeare, it's good enough for me. And I like the juxtaposition of the lyrics and the minor-key music here and in the rapid-fire Carol of the Bells.

The latter is something of a challenge to sing as is, in a different way, O Holy Night which soon soars into stratospheres that require operatic pipes. And I'm not game to tackle Angels We Have Heard On High.

Some carols aren't merely archaic, they're a little odd. The aforementioned Wencelas's "goodness" isn't so impressive when you realise his largesse was extended merely to one, randomly spotted man. Why not institute a proper welfare system? Nitpickers might argue it's not even a Christmas carol: "the feast of Stephen" is after Christmas. We Wish You A Merry Christmas starts out all nice and friendly but soon degenerates, with the wassailers demanding free dessert - what the heck is "figgy pudding" anyway? By the time they threaten repeatedly "we won't go until we get some" you're thinking of calling the police or at least turning the hose on them. They don't even sing "please". Bah humbug.

But in all seriousness, whether you're singing solo, raising your voice with others, or simply listening, no doubt there'll be a carol or two that touches you. All best for the season.

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