What\u2019s the difference between a Christmas carol and a hymn?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>

10 of the best Christmas musicals<\/a><\/strong><\/li>

The best cathedral and abbey choirs across the UK<\/a><\/strong><\/li>

The best Christmas ballets of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <\/div> <\/div>
We reveal the top 50 Christmas carols, as voted for by 50 top choral experts from around the world. Do you agree with their choices or have we missed your favourite Christmas carol? Here is our ultimate Christmas carol list.<\/p>
For a sneaky preview of their top 5 Christmas carols check out the video below<\/p>

<\/div> <\/figure> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-contents\">Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 50 to 41<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-26-away-in-a-manger\">50. Away in a Manger<\/h3> <p>‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/away-in-a-manger-lyrics\/\">Away in a Manger’<\/a><\/strong> may be one of the simplest carols of all, whether to sing, play or learn – but none the worse for that. A particular favourite in primary schools, where many parents over the generations have found themselves shedding a proud tear or two in that ‘I love thee lord Jesus’ solo verse…<\/p> <p>We named ‘Away in the Manger’ one of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/best-christmas-piano-music\/\">easiest pieces of Christmas music to play on the piano <\/a><\/strong>and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/christmas-violin-music\/\">violin<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Away in a Manger | Carols from King's 2019\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pbQpEdwGEXo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-29-jesus-christ-the-apple-tree\">49. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree<\/h3> <p>‘Elizabeth Poston rediscovered this early American text, which recalls the world of the Shakers,’ composer John Rutter tells us about this 1967 carol, ‘and set it to music so simply that it’s difficult to believe no one thought of her tune before (a perfect choral setting too, not a note too many). Spellbinding, magical, unique.’ Here are the<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/jesus-christ-the-apple-tree-lyrics\/\">lyrics to ‘Jesus Christ the Apple Tree’<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">48. Joy to the World<\/h3> <p>A festive toast to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/george-frideric-handel\">Handel<\/a><\/strong>, please! The music may be by leading 19th-century US church figure Lowell Mason, but he was clearly borrowing from the great Baroque composer: notice just how similar the celebratory carol\u2019s opening notes and the \u2018And Heaven and Nature Sing\u2019 refrain are to \u2018Glory to God\u2019<br\/> and \u2018Comfort Ye\u2019 in <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/best-recordings-handel-s-messiah\">Messiah<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BEST CLASSICAL MUSIC| Joy to the world - CHRISTMAS CAROLS - Soundiva Classical Choir - HD\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GGyYAzrctzk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">47. See amid the winter’s snow<\/h3> <p>An uplifting carol that comes right from the heart of Victorian England. First published in <em>Christmas Carols Old and New<\/em> in 1871, its words were written by Edward Caswall, son of a vicar and the notes by John Goss, organist of St Paul\u2019s Cathedral \u2013 many today know Goss\u2019s music best from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/news\/sir-david-willcocks-1919-2015\">David Willcocks<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s\u00a0 gorgeous 1961 arrangement.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-36-gloria-from-puer-natus-est\">46. Gloria from <em>Puer Natus Est<\/em><\/h3> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/thomas-tallis\">Thomas Tallis<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s 1554 <em>Puer Natus est<\/em> mass may have been a case of wishful thinking \u2013 was the 16th-century composer reflecting Catholic hopes that Queen Mary I would bear an heir? The work was written for a grand occasion at St Paul\u2019s, reflected by Tallis\u2019s use of full vocal forces throughout and long, arching phrases that fill the outermost reaches of even the most spacious cathedral.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-31-gabriel-s-message\">45. Gabriel’s Message<\/h3> <p>Chortling choristers love it for the sheer amusement of singing ‘Most highly flavoured gravy’ in place of the intended words. For the rest of us, the gentle ebb and flow of this Basque traditional folk carol, which describes the story of Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary, has a uniquely haunting quality.<\/p> <p><strong>Here are the <a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/the-angel-gabriel-from-heaven-came-lyrics\/\">lyrics to The angel Gabriel from heaven came’ also known as ‘Gabriel’s Message’<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gabriel\u2019s Message \u2013 Genesis Sixteen | Classic FM Sessions\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g5oA29INBH8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">44. Angels from the Realms of Glory<\/h3> <p>Familiar as <em>Angels We Have Heard On High<\/em> outside the UK, this hymn has a \u2018Gloria\u2019 refrain that is second only to <em>Ding Dong Merrily On High<\/em>. In Jacques\u2019s arrangement, one voice after another takes on the four-quaver passages as if in a celestial relay race before all come together for a magnificent \u2018In Excelsis Deo!\u2019 finale.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">43. Adam Lay Ybounden<\/h3> <p>Written at very short notice in 1957 by Boris Ord, organist and choirmaster of King\u2019s College, Cambridge, who then established his work for unaccompanied voice as a regular at the college\u2019s <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-is-the-festival-of-nine-lessons-and-carols\/\">Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols<\/a><\/strong>. It is still frequently included in the service today.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Adam Lay Ybounden, Boris Ord sung by St Matthew's Westminster directed by Nigel Groome\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Gl8VAMSwzgk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">42. Good King Wenceslas<\/h3> <p><em>Good King Wenceslas<\/em> refers to Saint Wenceslaus, the 10th-century ruler of Bohemia and Christian missionary, who met a grisly end at the hands of his brother\u2019s supporters. The touching story told in JM Neale\u2019s 19th-century words, though nicely wintery, seems to have little historical basis.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">41. Il est n\u00e9 le divin enfant<\/h3> <p>A lovably earthly <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/french-christmas-songs\/\">French traditional carol<\/a><\/strong>, in which we are joyfully invited to \u2018Jouez hautbois\u2019 (Play the oboe) and \u2018Re\u0301sonez musettes\u2019 (Sound the bagpipe). Best enjoyed in its original language \u2013 though possibly not in Siouxsie and the Banshees\u2019 dubious pop take on it, released as a single in 1982.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 40 to 31<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">40. It came upon a midnight clear<\/h3> <p>How you know this carol depends largely on which side of the Atlantic you are. US congregations have long been singing Richard Storrs Willis\u2019s setting of the words by Massachusetts minister EH Sears, but their UK counterparts will be more familiar with its beautifully understated setting by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-gilbert-and-sullivan-songs\">Arthur Sullivan<\/a><\/strong>. The latter is the one voted for here.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2014 #7 It came upon the Midnight Clear\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QzJUlUwZDQs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">39. Hodie Christus Natus Est<\/h3> <p>Early 17th-century German composer Heinrich Sch\u00fctz was just one of a number of composers over the ages to have set <em>Hodie Christus Natus Est<\/em>, an antiphon traditionally sung at Vespers on Christmas day. Sch\u00fctz\u2019s original setting weaves soprano and tenor soloists in intricate counterpoint, but it has since been arranged for larger choral forces.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">38. The First Nowell<\/h3> <p>Its origins lost way back in the mists of time, <em>The First Nowell<\/em> is simplicity itself: the same line is repeated twice in the verse, with only a slight variation in the chorus. Perhaps that simplicity is what makes it such a favourite with choirmasters \u2013 this hymn is ideal for the occasional self-penned decorous descant.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2010 #15 The First Nowell\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1mItWsC8RtM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">37. Jauchzet Frohlocket<\/h3> <p>At around eight minutes long, the exultant opening chorus to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/johann-sebastian-bach\">Bach<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/js-bachs-christmas-oratorio\">Christmas Oratorio<\/a><\/strong><\/em> unsurprisingly finds itself included in many a Christmas carol service. \u2018Triumph, rejoicing\u2019 beam the choir, and even if Bach\u2019s originally intended brass and percussion aren\u2019t to hand, the music is still guaranteed to provide an almighty festive uplift.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">36. <em>Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen<\/em><\/h3> <p>Composed in the early 17th century, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/michael-praetorius\">Michael Praetorius<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <em>Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen<\/em> is one of those hymn tunes whose \u2018tingle factor\u2019 lies in the way that it instantly transports the listener back to a different era. English-speaking congregations are generally familiar with it in the guise of \u2018A Great and Mighty Wonder’.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-32-ding-dong-merrily-on-high\">35. Ding Dong Merrily on High<\/h3> <p>‘Glo-o-o-o-o-o-orr, o-o-o-o-o-orr, o-o-o-o-o-orr, o-o-o-o-o-oria, Hosanna in Excelsis!’ Need we say more?<\/p> <p>Here are the full<a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/ding-dong-merrily-on-high-lyrics\/\"><strong> lyrics for<\/strong> <strong>Ding Dong Merrily on High<\/strong><\/a><strong>‘<\/strong>, if you want to know what’s sung between the glorias’ and Hosannas’!<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ding! dong! merrily on high | Carols from King's 2018\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OppQRVsdkNs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-38-illuminare-jerusalem\">34. Illuminare Jerusalem<\/h3> <p>A modern gem. Leading Scottish composer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/composers\/guide-music-judith-weir\/\"><strong>Judith Weir<\/strong><\/a> wrote this short anthem for choir and organ for King\u2019s College, Cambridge, where it was first performed in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1985. Setting a medieval Scottish text, it has since enjoyed popularity both in the UK and beyond.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-30-wexford-carol\">33. Wexford Carol<\/h3> <p>Dating right back to the 12th century, the ‘Wexford Carol’ comes from the town of Enniscorthy in, yes, County Wexford, Ireland. Beginning ‘Good people all, this Christmas time’ it has become familiar to many today through John Rutter’s beautiful arrangement of 1978, which begins with a melodious, if frighteningly exposed, baritone solo.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"'Wexford Carol' arr. John Rutter | Chamber Choir Ireland at Christmas\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MiC2TYunHDc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-39-quem-vidistis\">32. Quem Vidistis<\/h3> <p>Three of Poulenc\u2019s four unaccompanied <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/recordings\/poulencs-four-christmas-motets\/\">Christmas motets<\/a><\/strong> were voted into our top Christmas carols list. This one tells of the shepherds eagerly returning from the manger \u2013 the tentatively asked opening question \u2018Quem vidistis?\u2019 (Whom have you seen?) is met with the joyful answer \u2018Natum vidimus\u2019 (We have seen the Son).<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">31. Here is the little door<\/h3> <p>GK Chesterton\u2019s beautifully crafted portrait of the Magi arriving at the stable is given a suitably intimate setting for unaccompanied voices by 20th-century English composer Herbert Howells. Overall, the mood is humble, peaceful and reflective, but woven in to the music are occasional references to the darker, more disturbing elements of the Christmas story. Stunning: and makes the list of our greatest Christmas carols of all time.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 30 to 21<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">30. I Wonder as I Wander<\/h3> <p>In North Carolina in 1933 a girl called Annie Morgan caught the ear of folklorist John Jacob Niles as she sang a garbled version of an Appalachian folksong. Paying her to sing it again, Niles wrote what he heard down and filled in the gaps. Arranged by several composers since, ‘I Wonder as I wander’ has proved a draw for choirs the world over. It made our list of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/six-best-unknown-carols\">best little known Christmas carols<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">29. This is the truth from above<\/h3> <p>Like Niles (above), Vaughan Williams heard this exquisite carol sung by a folk singer, one Ella Leather in Herefordshire in 1909. His subsequent unaccompanied choral setting with its poignant modal harmonies recounts the creation of man and Jesus\u2019s promise of redemption. VW later used it to open his <em>Fantasia on Christmas Carols<\/em>.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Truth Sent From Above (Vaughan Williams) \u2013 Genesis Sixteen | Classic FM\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mpsZke3KvVc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">28. Joys Seven<\/h3> <p>The earliest known manuscript of this traditional folksong, dating from the 14th century, tells of just five joys enjoyed by Mary. Today, depending on where you are in the country, you may find versions with up to 12 joys, each listed in turn! In best King\u2019s College, Cambridge tradition Stephen Cleobury has left his festive mark as director of music with a number of fine arrangements, this included.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">27. O Little Town of Bethlehem<\/h3> <p>Another carol sung to different melodies depending where you are. The words are by American priest Phillips Brooks, who wrote the text after attending Midnight Mass in Bethlehem in 1865. In the US the setting by Brooks\u2019s church organist Lewis Redner is best known, while in England Vaughan Williams\u2019s arrangement of the gentle English hymn tune \u2018Forest Green\u2019 is most often sung.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">26. This Little Babe<\/h3> <p>Benjamin Britten’s<em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/brittens-a-ceremony-of-carols\"> A Ceremony of Carols<\/a><\/strong> <\/em>for treble voices and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/what-is-a-harp\/\">harp <\/a><\/strong>had an unlikely genesis, written as it was on a Danish cargo ship crossing the Atlantic in the Middle of World War II – in the mid-summer! From it comes ‘This Little Babe’ in which the choir divides thrillingly into a rapid three-way canon over furious harp rhythms. It should, reckoned Britten biographer Humphrey Carpenter, be sung with ‘all the vigour of a pillow fight’.<\/p> <p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/best-classical-music-winter\"><strong>The best classical music for winter<\/strong><\/a><\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">25.<strong> <\/strong>Silent Night<\/h3> <p>One of the most familiar and best-loved Christmas carols, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/silent-night-lyrics\">Silent Night<\/a><\/strong> was composed – suitably – on Christmas Eve, 1818. The music, that is: the lyrics had been written a few years earlier.<\/p> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/when-was-silent-night-written\">When was Silent Night written?<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <p>The story goes that churchgoers in the Austrian town of Oberndorf were battling through the snow to attend mass. Inside the church, meanwhile, two men were completing the final touches to a carol that they had written that same day. Those men were Father Joseph Mohr, the assistant priest, and his friend Franz Xaver Gruber. And they were about to give ‘Silent Night’ its very first-ever performance.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Silent Night | Christmas Carols from King's 2021\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/POcDlbYiF9c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">24. The Lamb<\/h3> <p>The visionary 18\/19th-century poet poet and artist William Blake wrote ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/lamb-lyrics\">The Lamb<\/a><\/strong>‘ in 1789. This disarming poem formed part of Blake’s cycle <em>Songs of Innocence<\/em>. Blake’s other memorable creations include the famous hymn, ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/jerusalem-lyrics\">Jerusalem<\/a><\/strong>‘.<\/p> <p>And what of the beautiful, haunting music by which we now know Blake’s poem? Well, many composers have ventured to set Blake’s poem to music. Memorably, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/ralph-vaughan-williams\">Vaughan Williams<\/a><\/strong>, in 1958. But it is Sir <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/john-tavener\">John Tavener<\/a><\/strong>‘s 1982 version that we sing (or hear) with such rapt attention today. First performed at that year’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, ‘The Lamb’ has since become one of Tavener’s best known works.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2014 #13 The Lamb John Tavener\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ClMUquOdDT4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">23. The Three Kings<\/h3> <p>Also known as ‘Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar’ (and not to be confused with ‘We Three Kings’), this Christmas carol was created\u00a0by the German composer\u00a0Peter Cornelius. His original version was for singer plus piano. The English organist\u00a0Ivor Atkins\u00a0later arranged a choral accompaniment. ‘The Three Kings’ narrates the visit of the three Magi\u00a0to the baby\u00a0Jesus.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/german-christmas-songs-carols\">German Christmas carols: 7 of the best festive songs from Germany<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">22. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen!<\/h3> <p>Another of the very oldest Christmas carols in the repertoire. ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/god-rest-ye-merry-gentlemen\">God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen<\/a><\/strong> dates back to the 16th century, or perhaps earlier. It makes a famous appearance in Charles Dickens’s ‘A Christmas Carol’, where it appears that the legendary grinch Ebeneezer Scrooge is not a fan. In fact he takes such offence that the carol singer on the other side of the door runs away \u2018in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost\u2019.<\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">21. The Sans Day Carol<\/h3> <p>Also known as The Holly Bears a Berry, the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/sans-day-carol-lyrics\">Sans Day Carol<\/a><\/strong> traces its origins back to 19th-century Cornwall. The story is told that a certain Mr Watson heard it sung in St Day (Cornish: Sen Day), a village named after a Breton saint. Watson wrote down the first three verses and chorus, and named his new carol after the village where he heard it. A fourth verse was added, and the carol was translated into English.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 20 to 11<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">20. Hodie Natus Est<\/h3> <p>The 17th-century Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck is perhaps best known for his keyboard works. But he also wrote some serious choral music. The joyful carol ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/hodie-christus-natus-est-sweelinck\">Hodie Christus Natus Est<\/a><\/strong>‘ is one of his finest essays in the form. Taken from his second book of Latin motets, the 1619 <em>Cantiones Sacrae<\/em>, this sparkling, three-minute carol isn\u2019t harmonically or contrapuntally complex, but it manages to create the illusion of constant movement by swapping little melodic ideas back and forth between the five parts.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck - Hodie Christus natus est (multitrack collab)\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R20cUpItMd8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">19. No Small Wonder<\/h3> <p>Now here is a carol that packs plenty of power into its short running time. We begin with a soft organ introduction and an opening line sung in unison. After that, the singing expands arrestingly into four parts as the narrator marvels at the Christmas miracle.<\/p> <p>The lyrics to No Small Wonder were written by Paul Wigmore. They were then set to music by organist and composer Paul Edwards in 2000. This one was voted by Matthew Steynor, director of music at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, Miami. He told us that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/no-small-wonder\">No Small Wonder<\/a><\/strong> is \u2018chorally and aurally extremely satisfying\u2019.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"No Small Wonder\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1J0jvdVE0j8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">18. The Little Road to Bethlehem<\/h3> <p>The British composer Michael Head spent time giving morale-raising piano recitals in factories during the Blitz. Soon after World War Two ended, he composed <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/little-road-bethlehem\">The Little Road to Bethlehem<\/a><\/strong>, a beguiling miniature for four-part choir.<\/p> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/what-happened-to-classical-musicians-during-world-war-2\">What happened to classical musicians during World War Two?<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"LOUISA STIRLAND THE LITTLE ROAD TO BETHLEHEM\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DkJ6leSY_CI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">17. Hodie Christus Natus est (Poulenc)<\/h3> <p>Poulenc\u2019s joyous <em>Hodie Christus Natus Est<\/em> brings the Frenchman\u2019s <em>Four Christmas Motets<\/em> to an ebulliently rowdy conclusion! We start off with a rare moment of\u00a0glory for the altos, who boldly sing out the opening \u2018Hodie Christus Natus Est!\u2019 and that sets the ball rolling. After that, it\u2019s fast-paced fun all the way \u2013 you won\u2019t find a more uplifting festive listen than this.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hodie Christus Natus Est - Francis Poulenc (SFSU Chamber Singers)\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KftF7I8iE6k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">16. There is a Flower<\/h3> <p>The great British composer <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/john-rutter\/\">John Rutter<\/a><\/strong> beguiles audiences with his rich <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-harmony-in-music\">harmonies<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-folk-music\">folk<\/a><\/strong>-like melodies. They are contemporary – yet they often have the atmosphere of being written centuries ago.\u00a0‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/there-flower\">There is a Flower<\/a><\/strong>‘, with its simple, spare treble melody gradually enriched with delicious choral textures, is one such delight.<\/p> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-folk-songs-15-most-famous-folk-songs\">Best folk songs: 15 most famous folk songs from around the world<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"There is a flower\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M3KvVMPl3e0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">15. O Magnum Mysterium (Victoria)<\/h3> <p>Another musical setting of this deeply spiritual <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-gregorian-chant\">Gregorian chant<\/a><\/strong>. The 16th-century Spanish composer Tom\u00e1s Luis de Victoria may have studied under the great <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/giovanni-pierluigi-da-palestrina\">Palestrina<\/a><\/strong>. We can\u2019t be sure, but the fluid counterpoint of his 1572 motet <em>O Magnum Mysterium<\/em> certainly has strong echoes of the great <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/best-italian-composers-of-all-time\">Italian composer<\/a><\/strong>. As one of the more generally joyful composers of the Renaissance, it\u2019s no surprise to hear Victoria\u2019s Christmas motet finish with a rousingly florid and affirmative \u2018Alleluia!\u2019.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Victoria - O magnum mysterium\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5dn7HgiT2QY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">14. Hark the Herald Angels Sing<\/h3> <p>Two famous names loom large in the story of this much-loved Christmas carol. It was in 1739 that Charles Wesley wrote a Christmas hymn that began \u2018Hark! how all the welkin rings, Glory to the King of Kings\u2019. That was the first incarnation of what is now\u00a0‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/hark-herald-angels-sing-lyrics\">Hark! The Herald Angels Sing<\/a><\/strong>‘.<\/p> <p>That’s the lyrics, then. As to the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-a-melody\">melody<\/a><\/strong>, that came around a century later, from the fertile pen of the composer\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/felix-mendelssohn\/\">Felix Mendelssohn<\/a><\/strong>. He it was who composed the cantata <em>Festgesang an die K\u00fcnstler <\/em>to commemorate 400 years since Gutenburg\u2019s invention of the printing press.<\/p> <p>The last piece in the jigsaw was <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/best-british-singers\">British singer<\/a><\/strong> William Hayman Cummings, who put music and lyrics together in 1855 to create the much-loved\u00a0Christmas carol.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hark! the herald-angels sing (Descant: David Willcocks) | Carols from King's 2021\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9Bwn0k0k8xI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">13. O Magnum Mysterium (Poulenc)<\/h3> <p>Of Poulenc\u2019s four Christmas motets, the first is the most solemn, the most haunting and has consistently proved the most popular since they were published in 1952. Poulenc\u2019s lapsed faith was famously re-ignited following the death of his friend Pierre-Octave Ferroud in 1936 \u2013 with its evocative twists and turns of dark harmony, few works can match the troubling <em>O Magnum Mysterium<\/em> in displaying the sheer depth of a composer\u2019s belief.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Francis Poulenc - O Magnum Mysterium\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/VShyqHcWjPY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12. The Sussex Carol<\/h3> <p>The <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/sussex-carol-lyrics\/\">Sussex Carol<\/a><\/strong> exudes an atmosphere of joy and celebration, from its cheery \u2018On Christmas Night\u2019 opening to its final, triumphant \u2018Amen!\u2019. The words were first published way back in 1684, but it was not until 1919 that composers <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/artists\/cecil-sharp\">Cecil Sharp<\/a><\/strong> and Ralph Vaughan Williams first wrote down, independently, the lilting melody. The latter heard the carol sung by Harriet Verall of Monk\u2019s Gate in Sussex \u2013 hence the title. But it was David Willcocks who brought the carol its real fame with his 1961 arrangement, which Jeremy Suter, master of the music at Carlisle Cathedral, describes as having \u2018all that is compelling in a choir carol: a beautiful melody enhanced by an attractive organ part, some enjoyable double choir work, a descant and an uplifting ending\u2019.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2011 #2 Sussex Carol arr. David Willcocks\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3mYXto0x4K0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>11. Once in Royal David\u2019s City<\/strong><\/h3> <p>It’s a Christmas moment we are all familiar with, and one that never fails to make us catch our breath with emotion. Each year, one chorister from King\u2019s College, Cambridge is selected for a great honour. They open the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols with the first, solo verse of ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/royal-davids-city-words\/\">Once in Royal David’s City<\/a><\/strong>‘. Their audience: a chapel packed to the gunwales\u2026 and several million radio listeners.<\/p> <p>However, to save the poor\/lucky lad from having his run-up to Christmas completely savaged by nerves, the chosen treble is never told of his big moment until just before the service is about to begin. The treble solo is just one highlight of this perennial favourite \u2013 that moment when congregation and organ stirs to life for the second verse and the glorious descant are just as much a part of the annual King\u2019s Christmas experience.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2010 #1 Once in Royal David's City\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/NMGMV-fujUY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Greatest Christmas carols of all time: numbers 10 to 1<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>10. What Sweeter Music<\/strong><\/h3> <p>Our American readers may have first become familiar with this beautiful little masterpiece thanks to a certain Volvo car advert. Its origins, however, go back (a little) further. In fact, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/what-sweeter-music-rutter\">What Sweeter Music<\/a><\/strong> was written for the world-renowned choir of King\u2019s College, Cambridge, for their 1987 service of Nine Lessons and Carols.<\/p> <p><em>What Sweeter Music<\/em> features an exceptional melody and luscious harmonisation. As the composer himself explains \u2018Robert Herrick\u2019s lovely text was not only just right in that context, highlighting the idea of the gifts\u00a0that we can bring but also seemed to sum up exactly what carols are for and what Christmas is all about.\u2019<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"VocalEssence - What Sweeter Music by John Rutter\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fLkxe6q6UyE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/five-best-modern-christmas-carols\"><strong>Five of the best modern Christmas carols<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9. Of the Father\u2019s Heart Begotten<\/h3> <p>Aside from its high placing in our top Christmas carols list, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/of-the-fathers-heart-begotten-words\">Of the Father’s Heart Begotten<\/a><\/strong> deserves a very special mention. That’s because it can trace its origins back a long way: it is, in fact, perhaps <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/when-was-the-first-christmas-carol\/\">the first Christmas carol<\/a><\/strong>. \u2018Corde natus ex parentis\u2019, to give it its original name, was composed by the Roman poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens. He was around in northern Spain in roughly 350 to 400 AD.<\/p> <p>Today, Prudentius\u2019s text is usually translated as \u2018Of the Father\u2019s Heart Begotten\u2019 or \u2018Of the Father\u2019s Love Begotten\u2019. It was 19th-century music editor Thomas Helmore who decided to couple the words with a Latin plainchant taken from the <em>Piae Cantiones Theoderici Petri Nylandensis<\/em> of 1582 \u2013 the result is solid, simple and hugely atmospheric. Or, as Sarah Baldock, organist of Chichester Cathedral, puts it: \u2018Such a strong tune and wonderful words!\u2019<\/p> <p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/five-best-ancient-christmas-carols\/\"><strong>Five of the best ancient Christmas carols<\/strong><\/a><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Of the Father's Heart Begotten\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-NL2YAz-Y_Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. O Come all ye Faithful \/ Adeste Fideles<\/h3> <p>A perennial favourite, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/o-come-all-ye-faithful-lyrics\">O Come all ye Faithful<\/a><\/strong> was nominated for our list of greatest Christmas carols of all time by Robert Hollingworth, founder of British vocal ensemble I Fagiolini. It is, we reasoned, perhaps the one Christmas carol without which no Christmas service would quite seem complete. What’s the clue to its magic? Perhaps it’s the steadily increasing volume of the chorus, in which only the upper voices sing first, with all other voices then joining in with increasing festive gusto?<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"#17 O Come, all ye faithful arr. David Willcocks King's College Cambridge 2009\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/T5rMQ6P12WY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>7. There is no Rose<\/strong><\/h3> <p>The medieval text <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/there-no-rose\">There is no Rose<\/a><\/strong> tells of a rose that represents the Virgin Mary. It’s been set to music many times. The settings by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/topic\/benjamin-britten\"><strong>Benjamin Britten<\/strong><\/a> and John Joubert have both become classic modern Christmas carols.<\/p> <p>And the South African-born Joubert\u2019s perfectly poised 1954 setting for unaccompanied choir enters our list at number six. In the words of Professor Edward Higginbottom, director of music of New College, Oxford, \u2018Like most good carols, it\u2019s strophic and singable. But it goes much further than that: exquisitely textured, not a chromatic note in sight, recurring melody that is the height of unaffected elegance, and captivating exchanges between the voices.\u2019<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2015 #6 There is no Rose John Joubert\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/V92BLc2c900?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-6-tomorrow-shall-be-my-dancing-day\">6. Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day<\/h3> <p>The Cornish carol <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/tomorrow-shall-be-my-dancing-day-lyrics\">Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day<\/a><\/strong> was first published in 1833, when it appeared in William Sandys\u2019s volume <em>Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern<\/em>. It is believed, though, to trace its roots back much further. ‘Tomorrow shall be my Dancing Day’ may originate with the Medieval mystery plays.<\/p> <p>Describing the life of Christ in the form of a dance, the text has been set by composers from Gustav Holst to Igor Stravinsky; British composer John Gardner\u2019s lively arrangement for choir, organ and optional percussion, written in the 1960s, is the version that found itself repeatedly voted for by our choral experts. \u2018Gardner combines a catchy melody with simple but ingenious rhythmic patterns to produce an irresistible setting of this traditional English text,\u2019 enthuses Stephen Darlington, choral director at Christ Church, Oxford. \u2018You cannot fail to smile on hearing it.\u2019\u00a0<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tomorrow shall be my dancing day \u2013 John Gardner\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0VTkJSIXXzU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-5-lully-lulla-the-coventry-carol\">5. Lully, Lulla (The Coventry Carol)<\/h3> <p>The 16th-century carol ‘Lully, lulla’ or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/coventry-carol-lyrics\">The Coventry Carol<\/a><\/strong>, which dates back to the 16th century, is about as dark as Christmas carols get, with its doomladen words depicting a mother\u2019s fears for the fate of her child as she lulls him to sleeps. In British composer Kenneth Leighton\u2019s 1956 setting, the mother\u2019s words are sung by a desperately haunting treble solo which sighs mournfully above the gently ebbing and flowing accompaniment of the rest of the choir. In the third verse, the choir takes over the narrative to tell of Herod\u2019s slaughter of the innocents, ending with a viciously dramatic \u2018To Slay\u2019. Then the soloist resumes, taking the work to its doleful finish \u2013 Leighton\u2019s major-key final chord, however, does suggest some slight glimmer of hope.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Coventry Carol (Lully, lulla) | Carols from King's 2019\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DhdAWRM0tUA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"VOCES8 - Stopford: Lully, Lulla, Lullay\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Cte1DONjr24?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-4-bethlehem-down\">4. Bethlehem Down<\/h3> <p>Composer <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/who-was-philip-heseltine-also-known-as-peter-warlock\">Peter Warlock<\/a><\/strong> wrote the music to the beautiful <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/bethlehem-down\">Bethlehem Down<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. Journalist and poet Bruce Blunt penned the lyrics. The duo allegedly wrote the carol to fund an ‘immortal carouse’ (read: heavy bout of drinking) over Christmas 1927. Its particularly English strand make it perfect for the sombre yet reverent mood of many a traditional candle-lit carol service.<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King's College Cambridge 2010 #17 Bethlehem Down\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-z3Tz5AIsa0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-3-a-spotless-rose\">3. A Spotless Rose<\/h3> <p>The composer <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/herbert-howells\">Herbert Howells<\/a><\/strong> revealed that the carol ‘<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/spotless-rose-lyrics\">A Spotless Rose<\/a><\/strong>‘ came to him while he sat watching trains travelling from Bristol to Gloucester through the window of his Gloucestershire cottage. Shunting trains seem a world away from the arching lines of the anthem itself, in which the flowing melody is carried first by the choir then a baritone soloist over a subdued chorale-like harmony. And, as is so often the case with Howells, a touch of brilliance is saved for the final chords. \u2018I should like, when my time comes, to pass away with that magical cadence,\u2019 wrote fellow composer Patrick Hadley. Jeremy Suter, master of music at Carlisle Cathedral agrees: \u2018The scrunchy harmonies of the final few bars are pure, unadulterated bliss!\u2019<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Herbert Howells - A Spotless Rose (w\/score)\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uzHIo4c3ukM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-2-in-dulci-jubilo\">2. In Dulci Jubilo<\/h3> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/in-dulci-jubilo-lyrics\">In Dulci Jubilo<\/a><\/strong> has a delightfully festive ancient German tune, which has enjoyed many interpretations. These include the famous Bach Christmas organ chorale prelude and the hymn \u2018Good Christian Men Rejoice\u2019. Not forgetting, of course, Mike Oldfield\u2019s 1975 chart hit.<\/p> <p><em>In Dulci Jubilo<\/em> really comes into it own, however, when heard in RL Pearsall\u2019s sumptuous 1837 arrangement. With its intriguing mix of Latin and English words, Pearsall\u2019s music builds up from a straight-forward hymn tune in the first two verses, through some exquisite counterpoint for soloists in the third, before the full, unaccompanied choir gathers together for a rousing finale \u2013 when we reach the words \u2018There the bells are ringing\u2019 a peal-like phrase in the treble line soars thrillingly. \u2018<em>In Dulci Jubilo<\/em> is probably my favourite carol of all,\u2019 says Robin Tyson, King\u2019s Singer and a former King\u2019s College, Cambridge choral scholar. \u2018It\u2019s a forward-moving carol with an ancient and beautiful melody and rich, lush harmonies that swim round a church.\u2019<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"In Dulci Jubilo\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iXze_TLUTqM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. In the Bleak Midwinter<\/h3> <p>Does any other carol get to the very heart of Christmas as understatedly but effectively as <em><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/in-the-bleak-midwinter-lyrics\">In The Bleak Midwinter<\/a><\/strong><\/em>? Christina Rossetti\u2019s poem of 1872 is nigh-on perfect as a carol text: there\u2019s the winter cold, the coming of Christ, the description of the nativity scene and, finally, that \u2018What shall I give him?\u2019 moment of self-reflection.<\/p> <p>And then there\u2019s the music. While\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/gustav-holst\">Gustav Holst<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s charming setting of 1909 is rightly loved by millions worldwide, it is the less well known but infinitely more stylish setting by Harold Darke from two years later that is many people’s favourite.<\/p> <p>Rhythmically, Darke\u2019s opening line is identical to Holst\u2019s, but whereas Holst uses the full choir, Darke, who was briefly organist at King\u2019s College, Cambridge, scores the first verse for solo treble over the most muted of organ accompaniments. The remaining three verses are sung by the full choir, tenor solo, and choir again until, after a final, tender \u2018Give my heart\u2019, the organ brings the carol to a sublimely hushed conclusion.<\/p> <p>\u2018<em>In The Bleak Midwinter<\/em>\u2019s text and music flirt with sentimentality without crossing the line,\u2019 reflects Jeffrey Smith, director of music at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. \u2018And I love the delicious irony \u2013 and global connection \u2013 of singing \u201cSnow had fallen, snow on snow\u201d in our California sunshine, or for that matter, imagining a snowy Bethlehem long, long ago.\u2019\u00a0<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"In the bleak midwinter (Darke) | King's College Cambridge\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ANmgEFa5QvU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Tuesday, 26 November 2024 at 08:00 AM Christmas carols. Without them, Christmas wouldn\u2019t be Christmas. From angel-singing, bell-ringing ebullience to deep, spiritual contemplation, nothing can match the Christmas carol in terms of creating an atmosphere \u2013 whether echoing through a vast cathedral, or sung by children in a nativity play, their power to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":50110,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"21"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/11\/the-50-best-christmas-carols-of-all-time.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Tuesday, 26 November 2024 at 08:00 AM Christmas carols. Without them, Christmas wouldn\u2019t be Christmas. From angel-singing, bell-ringing ebullience to deep, spiritual contemplation, nothing can match the Christmas carol in terms of creating an atmosphere \u2013 whether echoing through a vast cathedral, or sung by children in a nativity play, their power to…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/50109"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}