Carols at the Cross is a a celebration of traditional carol singing

held on Ryton Village Green each year on the last Tuesday before

Christmas Eve. It Started with a group of brass players from the Ry

ton based ceilidh band 'Brass Neck' playing some carols under the

street lamp by the old village cross. Before long it had grown into

one of the most popular carol singing events in the North East.

Each event starts with a welcoming peal of bells from the new

bells in Ryton Church Tower at around six o'clock. At six-thirty

the Brass Band strikes up with a short overture and then a plays

a set of carols for everyone to join in. Song sheets are provided.

There is a short break with one or two songs from the ever

popular Caedmon Choir and occasionally some traditional sword

dancing or a mummers play when a collection is made. All profits

made go to St Oswald's Hospice.

The band continue with the carols and after a short thank you

from the organisors, the crowd disperse, mostly in the direction of

the Old Cross Public House where the festivities continue with

some more secular seasonal songs which more recently have i

ncluded some Sheffield Carols from the villages around that

Yorkshire town.