A Little Before 'Tis Day

A centuries-old caroling tradition takes place during Christmas and New Year's in a small Newfoundland outport. The carols and their tunes have been handed down through the ages in the community's oral tradition, and there is no written transcription of the melodies or their origins. For generations villagers have walked from house to house, entered darkened kitchens after midnight, and sung the carols as occupants listened in the darkness. The documentary begins with the demise of the old tradition -- or so it was thought, until the tradition was discovered to still exist in another tiny community 200 miles distant. The program tracks down the village carolers and follows them on their rounds one winter's night.

First broadcast by CBC Canada 2002