Out Of Tune

The other carollers seemed deaf to the message of Christmas!

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MELODY loved Christmas. She loved the buzz in the high street, the queues of excited children waiting for their turn to enter Santa's grotto and the possibility of snow.

All aspects of the festive season brought her joy, but what put her in the mood more than anything was Christmas music.

M Sacred and secular, Melody loved all of it.

She'd happily sit through a performance of Handel's "Messiah" in a concert hall, or sing along to Wizzard and Shakin' Stevens in her car.

She put her love of music to good use, and organised an annual outing of carol singers from the youth club where she volunteered.

Few of them had musical training, but they could belt out a tune.

"Which parts of town are you singing to this year?" her colleague, Rebecca, asked her at work one day.

It was a question Melody faced every time. The carol singers couldn't call everywhere, so they picked a couple of developments and did their best to get to as many houses as possible.

"We haven't decided yet," Melody admitted.