The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs

by Andrew Gant

From Oxford professor and renowned British composer, a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carols.

Everyone loves a carol--in the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge. They have the power to summon up a special kind of mid-winter mood, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic.

But how did they get that magic? Andrew Gant--choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer--tells the story of some twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unraveling a captivating, and often surprising, tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherd boys and choirboys. Readers get to delve into the history such favorites as "Good King Wenceslas," "Away in a Manger," and "O, Tannenbaum," discovering along the way how "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" came to replace "Hark, how all the welkin' ring" and how Ralph Vaughan Williams applied the tune of an English folk song about a dead ox to a poem by a nineteenth century American pilgrim to make "O Little Town of Bethlehem."

A charming book that brims with anecdote, expert knowledge, and Christmas spirit, this is a fittingly joyous account of one of the best-loved musical traditions.

Genres: Christmas, Nonfiction, Music, History, Holiday, Christian, Poetry

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 6, 2014

About the author

Andrew Gant (1963-) is a composer, choirmaster, church musician, university teacher and writer. He has directed many leading choirs including The Guards' Chapel, Worcester College Oxford, and Her Majesty's Chapel Royal. He lectures in Music at St Peter's College in Oxford, where he lives with his wife and their three children. His books for Profile are Christmas Carols and Sing Unto the Lord.

Reviews

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I told my husband not to buy this book, even though it was only selling for a buck, as I had already read so many books on the origins of carols.
But this book really is something different. It's far more detailed, and supplies much information on the history, music and poetry of the carols. And I've never read a Christmas carol anthology written with such amusing and creative language, or with such affection.
It was an enjoyable read and I'm glad my husband ignored my suggestion not to buy it.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me, the problem is that the book can't decide if it wants to be academic or funny. The academic works; the parts where the tone tries to be funny fails. It is a more a history of the various tunes than any deep look at the possible meanings.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not know that the introduction would be the best part of this book. Unfortunately, I did not get what I was seeking. I was looking for a book on the history of Christmas carols and while this book had that, it wasn't delivered in a way that was enjoyable to me.

Firstly, this book is a English-centric book, which there's nothing wrong with but I'm assuming that many of the carols that people in North America are familiar with come from all over Europe. 99% of the songs featured in this book originated in England and if they didn't originate in England, the song went through one of its variations there.

Secondly, I think the target audience of this book are musicians. A lot of references went over my head as a casual lay reader.

Thirdly, although I was looking forward to reading about the history of some of the most famous (and unknown, to me) Christmas songs, a lot of the authorship was lost to history. I hadn't been away that the lyricists and songwriters weren't one and the same. And that copyrights weren't a thing. And that lyrics underwent changes through different adaptations.

Fourthly, this was dry. I found myself falling asleep and just wishing I was finished with the book.

This just wasn't for me.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the layout of this book! Each chapter discusses a different Christmas Carol. Music has always been a huge part of my life, and Christmas carols are no exception. The music is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. If only I had finished this during Christmas time, but it’s still an enjoyable read at any time. My only critique is that I wish it had included more carls! Especially my favorite, the Cherry Tree Carol.

[Ms. Martian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an interesting book, but not one that I will likely read again. One of my daughters seemed interested -- it's an interesting topic -- but I told her that this book would be too difficult for her to understand. This book reads like a college textbook; I wish the author had made the information a bit less academic and a bit more accessible.

[Oli Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

#andrewgant #christmascarolsfromvillagegreentochurchchoir published in 2014 is more comprehensive than #whywasthepartridgeinthepeartree? #thehistoryofchristmascarols by reverend #marklawsonjones which I read last month. It even comes with a CD and YouTube playlist. It is charming and interesting. Each chapter is dedicated to a specific carol and includes lyrics and music. Some carols are discussed in terms of historical development or use in society and different regional variations, others are discussed with a more analytical eye in respect of the music or lyrics and others in their religious context. Some chapters have a combination of these different approaches although I would like to see an even more comprehensive and analytical edition which goes into detail on all of these aspects for all of the carols. Although I suspect then you would end up with more of an academic text that a lighter easier read clearly designed as a stocking filler.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

My enjoyment of the book would have been improved if I knew Latin. And my German were better.

It's a *very* academic book which does include the sheet music for the carols discussed. Some interesting tidbits, such as the fact that many hymns were written in the "common meter" and were sung to any tune the singer liked. It was cool to see how old some of the carols are, dating from the 500s on. And it did, finally, explain why I know two tunes for 'Away in a Manger' - because, for many carols, there's a US version and a UK version....

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very easy to read and humorous in places. I imagine a musical person would get even more out of it but only a small part of it was musically technical. Not sure how much I will remember as it covered a lot of background about people who collected or may have written each carol, but definitely worth a read.

[Almachius · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful. I started this a couple of a Christmases ago, and enjoyed finishing it off this week. Easy to read; each chapter deals with a short history of a well known carol and ends with the music. What's not to love?

[Pamellia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book of information. Not exactly what I was looking for, however.

[Donna L Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I must confess I really, REALLY, wanted to like this book. I’m all about the holiday season and especially love listening to Christmas carols, so when I had the chance to review this book about the origins of some of my favorite holiday songs, I jumped at the chance to order my copy.



Unfortunately the book didn’t live up to the hype surrounding its release. Yes, readers can delve into the history of twenty-one different songs. What killed it for me was the fact the print on the pages were so tiny in an effort to load readers up on all the technical musical side to each song that I was drowning in what felt like an unwanted university music history class instead of a heart-warming inspirational salute to the beloved songs of my youth.



By the fourth song I was so overwhelmed and turned off by the info dumping Mr. Gant was doing in his book that I no longer wanted to turn the page and never completed reading it.



If you are a diehard music history fan or like the stories of your Christmas carols dissected to the nth degree like some laboratory experiment then this book may hold some appeal for you. Otherwise I would caution adding this one to your library as I fear you may never take the chance of actually reading it.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems a bit premature to be reading Christmas books in September, but when I saw this book available I couldn't help but pick it up. While I'll be the first to say I'm musically challenged, I love listening to music anyway. And one technical aspect I can understand and appreciate is the history behind the songs.

With this in mind, I settled down with this book, assuming it would be a quick, fun read.

Well...not exactly. At least, it wasn't a quick read. The book, packed with information, was a bit more...scholarly than I had anticipated. Not a bad thing, but it did take more time to chew on, and I found myself reading a chapter or two a day during my free time.

I was unfamiliar with a lot of the stories behind the carols, so I felt like I learned a lot. My favorite chapters were probably those later in the book, on carols such as "Away in a Manger," "Good King Wensceslas," "I Wonder as I Wander," and "We Three Kings."

Overall, a book full of well-researched information and a good resource for anyone who wonders about the familiar carols we sing every year.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointing history of some rather randomly-chosen English carols. The problem is that Gant seemed to want to write a book for choirmasters and music professionals (which he is), but the book has been marketed for a general audience. It's actually written in a breezy informal style, but he assumes a lot of background knowledge on the part of his readers. I'm no pro, but I have read lots of books about carols and, despite finding some tidbits of interest here, I was just as often confused by references to people or things which were not clarified in the text. The cover and binding are very nice, and, to be fair, his brief chapters on The Twelve Days of Christmas and Here We Come A-Wassailing were fun and informative. I wish more of the chapters had been like those.

[Ellen-Arwen Tristram · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was my last chance to read this, it being Epiphany, and I was really looking forward to it.

To be honest, it was a real disappointment. Basically, ever carol was the same. There were lots of possible authors, composers, all coming from sacred or secular backgrounds, from some random farmer or whatever. Mostly the same few composers who were the 'carol' writers. (Long discussion on the derivation and meaning of carol.) Cider involved. Arguments involved over lyrics. Alternative lyrics. Alternative tunes. Tunes from different carols. Each chapter could have been the same: the carol was traditional, it became more stable and here we are.

I was really looking forward to this (love Christmas carols), but it was a flop. Sorry.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some solid information here, but the discussion is rather haphazard. It's very "here are some facts(?) about a song" as opposed to an in depth analysis. It's not in depth enough for professionals, and not easy enough to get into for amateurs. I wonder who the intended audience is. I would think it is interested laypersons, but the book doesn't seem to be written in that style or for that audience. Also, there was nothing particularly surprising, though the fact that there is a song about a Queen's execution written to the tune of "Greensleeves" was a. pretty spectacular, and b. made me try to sing it aloud.

[James Tidd · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Everyone loves a carol - in the end, even Scrooge. As they accompany us through the Christmas season, they summon up a special kind of midwinter mood, mingled with the aroma of mince pies and mulled wine and the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a very particular sort of magic. But how did they get that magic? Christmas Carols takes us on a journey from the Annunciation, through Advent with its feasting and making ready, to Christmas Day and the arrival of the Magi in all their splendour. It unravels the history of our seasonal soundtrack, gives us the music to play and sing wherever we want to, and tells the stories of everyone's favourites from 'Good King Wenceslas' and 'Away in a manger' to 'Ding dong Merrily on high' and 'The twelve days of Christmas.'

I find this book fascinating, thinking that most of the Christmas Carols were English, or British, yet after reading the book, I found that I could not be more wrong. Gant traces the history of 22 popular Carols under 15 subjects, from their beginnings to the modern day, and how they became to be sung in English Churches. Gant traces the following:

Annunciation: The Angel Gabriel from heaven came
Advent: O come, o come Emmanuel
Feasting and Making Ready: The Boar's Head Carol, O Christmas Tree and The Holly and the Ivy
The journey to Bethlehem: I saw three ships
Christmas Eve: O little town of Bethlehem
Christmas Day: In dulci jubilo and O come all ye faithful (Adeste fideles)
'And there were shepherds ... Abiding in the field': While shepherds watched and The Fleecy Care
'Lo the Angel of the Lord came upon them': Ding dong merrily on high and Angels from the realms of glory
'Suddenly there was with the Angel...': Hark the herald angels sing
'And they came with haste and found Mary...': The Christ Child's Lullaby and Away in a manger
St Stephen's Day: Good King Wenceslas
Holy Innocents: Personent hodie
1 January: Here we come a wassailing
Twelfth night: The twelve days of Christmas
Epiphany: We three Kings and What child is this?

Most of these I know, the ones I am not familiar with are: Boar's Head Carol, The Fleecy Care and The Christ Child's Lullaby. I have probably heard of these three but wouldn't recognise them in word format.

[Mallory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our carols may not all turn out exactly as the grown-ups intended, but we can still love them for what they are.

3.5 stars
This was a lot more scholarly than I anticipated; half the time I felt I'd dropped into an advanced music history class! That being said there was a great deal to enjoy and even embrace about the author's quirky, decidedly British style of writing. ('Yes, I think I'll write some in French and not even bother to provide a translation.') If you decide to pick it up, you will be rewarded with fascinating knowledge on music and oral tradition throughout history and you will certainly learn something you didn't know about Christmas carol standards.

Favorite quotes: "The past is a foreign country - they do things differently there. Recorded versions have all sorts of different sets of lyrics... Does it matter? Not a bit. This is what an oral tradition is."

"As usual, we happily help ourselves to the riches of another culture whenever it suits us."

[Paul Lunger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Andrew Gant's "The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs" is a book that I had really high hopes for and was sorely disappointed. The book itself covers 21 different carols 3 of which I've never heard of before and "attempts" to dissect their meaning and where they came from. The chapters are actually short, but at times the histories of these carols is uninteresting. What is kind of a nice thing about this book is that the entireties of the songs are listed at the end of each chapter along w/ the musical arrangement for each. Overall buy this book on a discount bin or only if you are truly a lover of some of the more obscure parts of music history.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not even sure what I just read.

Is this a fun, engaging, inspiring Christmas book? That's what the cover and description would lead you to believe, but no. What a drag. And really misleading, so thanks for that.

Is it a book about the history of carols? I tend to think yes. More so. But also the most disorganized, hard-to-follow history I have ever read with lots of asides that have nothing to do with the song the chapter is supposedly about.

Gant says in his introduction, "So if you occasionally get to the end of a chapter in this book slightly unsure about who wrote words or tunes or bits of either, me too." I got to the end of EACH chapter totally confused.

Would give 0 stars if I could. Too bad. I was really excited about this book.

[Thebruce1314 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me save you some time: there are no “surprising stories” about these carols; with the exception of two or three, the story is the same: we don’t, and can’t possibly, know who wrote them, because they have been modified and organically evolved over the years.
I also found it fairly irritating that Gant assumes the reader has a working knowledge of liturgy and all things sacred, making references in his explanations that I, for one, didn’t understand.
Aside from a few merger tidbits, this book was fairly disappointing given the title. It does include music for each of the carols, so I guess that’s something.

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting read, though it got very repetitive and I do not think I will ever read it again. I bought it four years ago in London and only got round to reading it now. It basically recounts the history of Christmas carol in general, but more particularly 22 particular ones. Though it was at times highly amusing, or really interesting because I could connect it to my general history knowledge, or my knowledge of literary and philosophical history, the stories are very similar, and often contain random changes/ happenings. Gant's writing style is really nice, smooth, and eloquent, so in that sense it was a pleasurable read.

[Tim Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the history, mystery and sometimes intrigue surrounding many of our favourite carols... which of course needn’t (as Gant points out) be about Christmas at all but which, in the case of this eponymous volume, of course are. Gant’s magisterial survey of choral music (see earlier reviews) maybe raised my expectations of this volume a little too high. Or maybe the archly ironic (and sometimes very funny) turn of phrase characteristic of his writing just doesn’t quite work on a smaller scale. Still, the book is both readable and listenable - the version I read has a very fine CD of the carols thrown in!

[Amy Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely thorough and full of the history and stories of many people, the trouble is it felt like the biographies of these people and technical musical discussion kind of drowned out the Christmas carol part. The writing is quite scholarly and dry which the author remedies with odd quirky, funny bits but they feel forced a lot of the time.

However, I did learn a lot about various songs, the chaotic evolution of carols, the raucous village performances without knowing the tune only the lyrics and many other things, so the book is effective if somewhat dull in delivery. I did end up repeating many newly gleaned facts to my Mom.

[Richard Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Hymns are about what happens in the Bible, with a devotional point attached. Somebody wrote them. Carols are pretty much about anything at all, except, usually, what happens in the Bible. Nobody wrote them.' - Andrew Grant
In this well researched book the author investigates the background and evolution of some of the most famous Christmas carols. Along the way we discover that these origins are rarely sacred and most come from folk-tunes shoehorned into carrying more religious words. There is a CD, which accompanies the book, which can be found on Spotify. It's very high-church choral; beautifully performed but somewhat colourless.

[azambakides · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this in my library’s e-catalogue and with my musical background and love of history, I had to read it.

This book comes with an accompanying CD, which I found on Spotify under the name of “Andrew Gant: Christmas Carols”. I loved listening to the carol at the end of each chapter after reading the history on the said carol.

It’s a bit too academic at the beginning, but later on it got interesting with more fun look at the history of the carol. Certainly a unique read over Christmas compared to the usual Christmas reads.

Recommended to anyone who loves music and history. And Christmas too, of course!

[Mark Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read. After enjoying his book "Sing unto the Lord", I thought I'd follow up with this one. Andrew's writing style is breezy, he writes with a sense of humour and full of little facts that make you want to research and follow up on. My only quibble is the omission of "Silent Night"- what happened there?? It's a good book that you can read at leisure as the chapters are small so a good book to have on the bedside table to give you that satisfaction of "just another chapter before I turn off the light".

[John E. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Specialized Reading

The music has always been one of my favorite things about the Christmas Season. The author discusses numerous well known Christmas Carols and explains their origin. The author is obviously an accomplished musician for he explains the various notes and how they evolved over time. Since I have no musical education, a considerable portion of the book was not readable to me. However, readers with musical training would undoubtedly praise the author for his knowledge and the amount of research that went into writing this book.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me way too long to finish this, but it’s a fun bit of potted pop history. My main quibbles are thus: St. Nicholas’s feast is the 6th of December and Sacred Harp does not have West Gallery style instrumentation (if you are feeling reckless you might have a bass viol, according to a shapenote historian and musicologist I know and sang with for a while. Otherwise, no accompaniment. What are you, a Catholic?). But over all, a fun read that makes me glad I did a Sheffield carols pub sing this year.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an utterly delightful little book. I wish I hadn't waited a year to read it! It's scholarly and well researched, but also written with so much wit and humor that I found myself laughing aloud. I love carols, having grown up singing in church choir and listening to old folk songs, so this was kind of the perfect book for me. I thought I would enjoy it when I picked it up, but I didn't realize I would love it as much as I did. I highly recommend it!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an accessible introduction to the history of some of our favourite English Christmas carols. It's an easy and enjoyable read. It didn't go quite as in-depth musically or historically as I'd have liked. My favourite parts were being introduced to carols I didn't already know, especially The Fleecy Care! I found it profoundly odd the author didn't mention Carols for Choirs at any point, and he's a bit weird about Scotland if you ask me. The book itself is beautiful, very nice use of foil.