For some people, Christmas is not a time of joy. It’s a painful reminder of loss: family and friends who have passed away and are no longer with us, financial difficulties which make the expected celebrations simply impossible, broken relationships and tensions which...

The Christmas carol speaks of ‘tidings of comfort and joy’ (‘God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen’) and these two things are often linked in the Bible. God promised through Jeremiah, ‘I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow’ (Jer 31:13), and Isaiah called us to...

I was fortunate to learn music at school. Starting with the recorder and going on to the flute, I learned to play instruments and read music from a young age. Music theory is the practical application of turning twelve notes into an endless variety of melodies in such...