{"id":101866,"date":"2024-12-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/?p=101866"},"modified":"2026-01-23T12:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:58:21","slug":"twelve-carols-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/twelve-carols-24\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stories of Twelve Carols: 2024 Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Celebrating the magic of the season is one of All Classical Radio\u2019s most beloved traditions. Each December, our Program Director,\u00a0John Pitman, selects twelve pieces from our extensive\u00a0<em>Festival of Carols<\/em>\u00a0library for a deep dive into their origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since 2019, we\u2019ve explored holiday classics on the Arts Blog, such as \u201cHark, the Herald Angels Sing,\u201d \u201cO Tannenbaum,\u201d and &#8220;Silent Night.&#8221; Each year, we\u2019ve expanded our exploration of carols to cover several centuries, origins, languages, and even holidays beyond Christmas. This year, we\u2019re thrilled to continue in this tradition and cover a mix of dear favorites and&nbsp;lesser-known jewels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to tune in to our&nbsp;<em>Festival of Carols<\/em>&nbsp;on All Classical Radio from December 22-25, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/holidays2024\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">check out the rest of our holiday programming<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hodie Christus Natus Est<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The words of the carol <em>Hodie Christus Natus Est <\/em>(Today Christ is born) originate from a 6th-century Gregorian chant that was traditionally sung at Christmas. One of the text sources comes from the Gospel of Luke: \u201cFor unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord\u2026\u201d Another comes from Psalm 32, which begins, \u201cBe glad in the Lord, and rejoice\u2026\u201d In the time since its Medieval origins, the chant has emerged as a popular Christmas carol and has been interpreted by many composers throughout the subsequent centuries, including Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, William Byrd, and Giovanni Palestrina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s listen to Dutch composer Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck\u2019s interpretation of the chant published in 1619. Sweelinck\u2019s music straddles the Renaissance and Baroque eras and is a shining example of the power of polyphony (the combination of several melodies sung together to create a rich vocal tapestry). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.andrews.edu\/~mack\/pnotes\/1999%20Concerts\/hodie.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You can follow along with the English translation of the Latin text here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The King&#039;s Singers: Hodie Christus Natus Est\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v8inIDGNFmM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Sweeter Music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Renowned English composer and choral director John Rutter is no stranger to holiday music and has written many beloved Christmas carols. One such work, <em>What Sweeter Music,<\/em> was composed in 1988 for the choir of King\u2019s College for their <em>Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols<\/em>. (And in case you didn\u2019t know, All Classical broadcasts this Christmas Eve tradition every year. Be sure to tune in at 7:00 AM PT on Tuesday, December 24, 2024). For <em>What Sweeter Music<\/em>, Rutter chose to set words by 17th-century English poet Robert Herrick which celebrate the birth of Jesus through joyful song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rutter - What Sweeter Music | The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Lu9bKctD2pU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Jesu, bleibet meine Freude (Jesu, Joy of Man\u2019s Desiring) from <em>Cantata 147<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>J. S. Bach originally composed <em>Cantata 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben <\/em>(Heart and mouth and deed and life) for the Advent season in 1716, rewriting it a few years later while serving in his new position as music director at St. Thomas School in Leipzig. Bach wrote this well-known cantata for the Feast of the Visitation to the Virgin Mary, which is closely associated with the anticipation of the birth of Jesus. For text, Bach looked to the Gospel of Luke for inspiration. The most famous movement from the work, \u201cJesu, Joy of Man\u2019s Desiring,\u201d appears twice in <em>Cantata 147<\/em>: once in the middle, and once as a reprise at the end with new text. As you listen to this holiday anthem, <a href=\"https:\/\/allsaintskingston.co.uk\/anthems\/jesu-joy-of-mans-desiring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">read along with an English translation of the German text here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jesu, Joy of Man&#039;s Desiring | The Tabernacle Choir\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oduhc96kTlw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gabriel&#8217;s Message<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Gabriel\u2019s Message<\/em> (\u201cThe angel Gabriel from heaven came\u2026\u201d) originated as an anonymous Medieval Basque hymn that has since been arranged by several choral composers, including Edgar Pettman, John Rutter, and Stephen Paulus. The text tells the story of the Annunciation as it relates to the celebration of Christmas and relays an intimate interaction between Gabriel and Mary. Not long after it was written, the carol became popular across regional boundaries and even crossed the English Channel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fun fact: Chaucer quoted the carol as part of The Miller\u2019s Tale in his <em>Canterbury Tales<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gabriel&#039;s Message - The Choir of St Bartholomew the Great | Classic FM\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XtHwXr_xu_s?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">El Noi de la Mare<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The gentle Catalan Christmas carol, <em>El Noi de la Mare<\/em> (The Son of the Virgin), could easily double as a lullaby. Written in three variations, the carol\u2019s three verses ask, \u201cWhat shall we give the son of the Mary?\u201d The narrative refers to figs in all three verses, and in the final stanza, the figs that are \u201cstill green\u201d are a reference to Jesus as an innocent child, and the fig\u2019s \u201cripening\u201d is his coming work of redemption. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bethsnotesplus.com\/2018\/11\/el-noi-de-la-mare.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read an English translation of the text here<\/a>. Given its Spanish origins, this carol is frequently arranged for guitar, as seen below. In fact, guitarist <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/QrdpmM-dI3g?si=QxKU92LRHmWS2-vK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Andr\u00e9s Segovia<\/a>&nbsp;is largely responsible for the work\u2019s popularity outside of Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"El Noi de la Mare (Llobet) - Alexandra Whittingham\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FBP1p1rtq4c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Cornish Christmas Carol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>English composer Peter Warlock (born Philip Arnold Heseltine) contributed several beloved carols and choral works to the seasonal repertory, including his striking<em> Cornish Christmas Carol<\/em>. If you feel like this carol gives you a bit of aural whiplash, Warlock wrote the following note in his score: \u201cTo be sung fairly fast, with sudden alternations of hardness and sweetness, of rude heartiness and tenderness touched with awe.\u201d Be sure to listen for the fleeting musical reference to another carol <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-famous-carols\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">we\u2019ve discussed already featured on the Arts Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Warlock: A Cornish Christmas Carol\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U9k_exyJqO0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gesu Bambino<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Composed in 1917 by Pietro Yon, this Italian Christmas carol quickly became a seasonal staple across many nations. Born in Italy, Yon emigrated to the US at age 21 and wrote his famous carol while serving as organist of St. Francis Xavier Church in Manhattan. You might notice that the melody and text for the chorus are extracted from <em>Adeste Fideles<\/em> (Oh Come All Ye Faithful). Since its publication,<em> Gesu Bambino<\/em> has been performed both in Italian and English and recorded by such notable singers as Luciano Pavarotti and Kathleen Battle. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smule.com\/song\/traditional-italian-gesu-bambino-english-lyrics-karaoke-lyrics\/242881308_1677618\/arrangement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You will find the English translation of the original Italian lyrics here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gesu Bambino - Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Staade\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nChsp_KuCZQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Boy Was Born<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Using text of German origin from the 16<sup>th<\/sup> century, English composer Benjamin Britten created his Christmas cantata, <em>A Boy Was Born<\/em>, while still a student at the Royal College of Music. This soaring a cappella piece marked Britten\u2019s first major composition for voice and his first significant religious contribution. It\u2019s important to note that the title, <em>A Boy Was Born<\/em>, is both the title of the cantata and the name of the work&#8217;s first movement. This first movement serves as the main theme upon which the subsequent six variations are built. When performed by itself, the first movement is hymn-like and sincere, evoking musical traditions of both centuries past and present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Benjamin Britten: A Boy was Born - Theme and Variation I\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hCSumR8dMTk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Patapan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Originating from the Burgundy region of France, the traditional Christmas carol <em>Patapan <\/em>was written around 1700 by Bernard de la Monnoye. In addition to his work as a lawyer, La Monnoye wrote a well-known collection of thirteen Burgundian Christmas carols under the pseudonym \u201cGui Barozai,\u201d with Patapan being the most popular today. Telling a story of two boys and their musical lessons in celebration, the original title of the carol was \u201cWillie, Take Your Little Drum\u201d and can be interpreted as a predecessor to <em>The Little Drummer Boy.<\/em> The carol\u2019s title is meant to mimic the drummer&#8217;s sound while celebrating the baby Jesus&#8217;s birth. As you listen, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com\/Hymns_and_Carols\/pat_a_pan-5.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">follow along with an English translation of the text here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Pat-a-pan (arr. Conte) | Atlanta Master Chorale\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oqaI0IbHC-c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A Christmas Carol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>American composer Charles Ives\u2019s <em>A Christmas Carol <\/em>was written with a calm, sweet, and lilting melody that offers a soft air of devotion. Composed in 1894, Ives wrote both the text and music for this carol himself and published it in a collection of 114 Songs in 1922. While the title might call to mind a certain Dickensian novella, Ives titled his carol in literal reference to the holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Chanticleer - A Christmas Carol\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m1z5PsdFijw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ave Maria<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>German composer and arranger Franz Biebl\u2019s interpretation of the Marian antiphon is a sublime choral masterpiece. Written for double-male chorus (and later arranged for mixed voices), Biebl wove elements of Medieval chant into a resolutely 20th-century piece. Originally composed in the 1950s, Biebl\u2019s <em>Ave Maria<\/em> became widely popular in the U.S. after being recorded by the famed vocal ensemble&nbsp;Chanticleer. Interestingly, Biebl actually wrote the piece for a firemen\u2019s choir in Bavaria. As for the text, while not directly connected to Christmas, the ancient prayer to Mary has become a consistent literary counterpart to other nativity texts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"VOCES8: Ave Maria  - Franz Biebl\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ycAtH_b7PnI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gloucestershire Wassail<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Gloucestershire Wassail <\/em>(\u201cWassail, Wassail, All Over the Town\u201d) is a joyful traditional English carol dating from the 18<sup>th<\/sup> century and commemorates the Christmastime wassailing tradition known throughout parts of England. Wassailing involves going from house to house and singing of good health while carrying a large, decorated bowl filled with mulled wine to offer townsfolk. The verses of text refer to many food items the carolers wish for in the new year, such as a good crop of corn and a good Christmas pie, as well as acknowledge many of the local livestock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<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\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wassail Song, by Ralph Vaughan Williams\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/05Bzbz-RXiA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep the Celebration Going<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Read about more favorites from the&nbsp;<em>Festival of Carols<\/em>&nbsp;in previous years\u2019 editions of&nbsp;&#8220;The Stories of Twelve Carols&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2023-edition\/\">2023 Stories of Twelve Carols<\/a> (including <em>Still, still, still <\/em>and <em>While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2022-edition\/\">2022 Stories of Twelve Carols<\/a> (including <em>O Holy Night<\/em> and <em>In the Bleak Mid-Winter<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2021-edition\/\">2021 Stories of Twelve Carols<\/a> (including <em>The Carol of the Bells <\/em>and <em>O Come, O Come, Emmanuel<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2020-edition\/\">2020 Stories of Twelve Carols<\/a> (including <em>The Holly and the Ivy<\/em> and <em>The Coventry Carol<\/em>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-famous-carols\/\">2019 Stories of Twelve Carols<\/a> (including <em>Joy to the World<\/em> and <em>Silent Night<\/em>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to tune in starting <strong>December 22<sup>nd<\/sup>, 2024<\/strong> to hear your favorites played on air. Learn more about All Classical Radio&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/holidays2024\/\">2024 Holiday Programming<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Celebrating the magic of the season is one of All Classical Radio\u2019s most beloved traditions. Each December, our Program Director,\u00a0John Pitman, selects twelve pieces from our extensive\u00a0Festival of Carols\u00a0library for a deep dive into their origins. Since 2019, we\u2019ve explored holiday classics on the Arts Blog, such as \u201cHark, the Herald Angels Sing,\u201d \u201cO Tannenbaum,\u201d &#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":101877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4909],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-21 04:17:43","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/151"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=101866"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102232,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101866\/revisions\/102232"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/101877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=101866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=101866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=101866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}