Description

From Andrew Gant, Oxford professor and renowned British composer, The Carols of Christmas is a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carolsfrom Advent through Epiphany.

Everyone loves a carolin the end, even Ebenezer Scrooge had a soft spot for them! They have the power to evoke a special type of mid-winter joy, like the aroma of gingerbread or the twinkle of lights on a tree. Its a kind of magic.

But how did they get that magic? Ganta choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writertells the story of twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unraveling a captivating, and often surprising, tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherds and choirboys.

Along the way, Gant answers some of the biggest questions hes received about these beloved carols over the years, including:

How did the most beloved carols come to be?

Why do we sing the versions of carols that we do?

How did these carols stand the test of time?

Readers get to delve into the history of favorites like 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, The Carols of Christmas is a fittingly joyous account of one of the best-loved musical traditions.

Author: Andrew Gant
Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 09/15/2015
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.40w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9780718031527
Language: English