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The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs Hardcover – September 15, 2015

by Andrew Gant (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 163 ratings
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From Andrew Gant, Oxford professor and renowned British composer, The Carols of Christmas is a joyous account of the history behind our favorite carols--from Advent through Epiphany.

Everyone loves a carol--in 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. It's a kind of magic.

But how did they get that magic? Gant--a choirmaster, church musician, university professor, and writer--tells 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 he's 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.

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Previous page
  1. Print length
    224 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Thomas Nelson
  4. Publication date
    September 15, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 0.9 x 8.7 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0718031520
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0718031527
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

The Carols of Christmas
The Carols of Christmas

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Thomas Nelson (September 15, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0718031520
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0718031527
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 13.6 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 0.9 x 8.7 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 163 ratings

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Andrew Gant

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
163 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

A. Biggs
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of three carol books I read this year
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2021
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I'm a church music director and ordered three books on carols this year, hoping to find some lesser-known traditions that might be useful right now, when group singing is considered tantamount to murder. This book was hands-down the best of the three: well-researched, written in good (amusing!) style, and authored by a man who clearly possesses an education both broad and deep. It was a pleasure to read. Sometimes I made my husband stop what he was doing so I could read a passage aloud to him.

There are some minor editing errors or inconsistencies that detracted from my enjoyment, particularly considering how good the content is. For example, the narrative entry for O Holy Night promised that the original ossia was printed at the end of the chapter; it was not, which was disappointing. In the chapter for Good King Wenceslaus, one particular song is referenced as "Of the Father's Love Begotten"; in the next chapter, the same song is "Of the Father's Heart Begotten." Just a little sloppy. Not a deal-breaker.

If you are going to buy one book on carols, make it this one. Of the two others I read, one was simply personal reminiscences by an Anglican priest; the other, published by Zondervan, was spitefully anti-Catholic, which was simply unnecessary. This was the only one that was worth the money.

Well done, Mr. Gant.
17 people found this helpful
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Walda J. Letson
4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting
Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2017
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It is OK, but not as interesting as I expected.
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Thaddeus P Cavuoti
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book on Carols!
Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2017
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Great explanations of the changes in text and music of individual carols over the years (often citing original source materials). Humorous writing style. Clearly readable scores at the end of each chapter. The only more thorough information in this area comes from the historical and performance notes (not the quarters and eights on the staff) that accompany items in "The New Oxford Book Of Carols".

Andrew Gant is both knowledgeable and a master in expressing thoughts on his subject. Look at his other book on English church music entitled "O Sing Unto The Lord".
5 people found this helpful
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alal94
5.0 out of 5 stars What's wrong with readers these days?
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2017
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Having enjoyed this book even when it was over my head, I'm surprised by the reviews saying it was boring or overly academic. Indeed this book is not for you if you're only into factoids and shallow histories. (Plenty of clickbait sites for that.) And indeed this book gets technical if you're musically illiterate like me. But if you want to get the fullest possible, most thoroughly researched treatment of the topic, and aren't afraid to stretch your brain a bit, this book is… well, like music to your ears! Perhaps an appreciation of British humor is required to find this book entertaining. It often made me chuckle!
27 people found this helpful
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John E. Dunlap
3.0 out of 5 stars Specialized Reading
Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2020
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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.
7 people found this helpful
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BritG
5.0 out of 5 stars Great service!
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2021
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Super fast and friendly shipping. Item arrived in perfect shape. Very pleased - would buy from this seller agin!
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Candy
4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2017
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Not as detailed as I would like.
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Bob Meyer
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely charming
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2016
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I have read other "stories behind the songs" but I had no idea there were such wonderful evolutionary stories behind these carols. And Andrew Grant relates the stories so wonderfully. This review is for the Kindle version. I'm going to get a hardcover version so I can share it with more of my friends.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Fred Tizzard
5.0 out of 5 stars good book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2023
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nice read
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