{"id":94641,"date":"2023-12-13T16:25:39","date_gmt":"2023-12-14T00:25:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/?p=94641"},"modified":"2026-01-23T12:58:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:58:21","slug":"the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2023-edition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2023-edition\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stories of Twelve Carols: 2023 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,&nbsp;<strong>John Pitman,<\/strong> selects twelve carols from our extensive&nbsp;<em>Festival of Carols<\/em>&nbsp;library for a deep dive into their origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-famous-carols\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">In 2019<\/a>, we explored holiday classics like <em>Hark! The Herald Angels Sing<\/em> and <em>O Tannenbaum<\/em>,&nbsp;while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2020-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2020\u2019s post<\/a>&nbsp;delved into international favorites such as&nbsp;<em>Riu,&nbsp;riu,&nbsp;chiu<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>No\u00ebl nouvelet<\/em>.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2021-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">In 2021\u2019s list<\/a>&nbsp;of carols, we traversed centuries with Medieval pieces such as&nbsp;<em>In&nbsp;dulci&nbsp;jubilo<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Veni,&nbsp;veni&nbsp;Emmanuel<\/em>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2022-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">in 2022<\/a>, we featured some Hanukkah classics as well as the operatic favorite, <em>O Holy Night<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This year, we\u2019re expanding our celebration of the season to include a wide range of languages, origins, time periods, and more, from the 12th-century <em>Wexford Carol<\/em> to Pink Martini\u2019s contemporary rendition of <em>Vamos, pastores, vamos.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Be sure to tune in to our&nbsp;<strong><em>Festival of Carols<\/em>&nbsp;on All Classical Radio from December 22-25<\/strong>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/programs\/holiday-programming23\/\" 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\">Il est n\u00e9 le divin enfant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The buoyant traditional French carol, <em>Il est n\u00e9 le divin enfant<\/em> (He is born, the Divine Child), is thought to be from the 18<sup>th<\/sup> century. Adding to the carol\u2019s mysterious origins, both the composer and poet are unknown. The mood of the piece is joyful and celebratory in appreciation of the birth of the baby Jesus. The text and music of the carol were first published separately in the 19<sup>th<\/sup> century, about a decade apart\u2014At some point thereafter, the two were joined into what is now a staple of French Christmas music tradition. <a href=\"https:\/\/lyricstranslate.com\/fr\/il-est-n%C3%A9-le-divin-enfant-he-born-divine-child.html-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Follow along with an English translation of <em>Il est n\u00e9 le divin enfant <\/em>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=\"Il Est N\u00e9 le Divin Enfant\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QwGm2vtYB_Q?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\">Wexford Carol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Wexford Carol, <\/em>a traditional piece from Ireland, dates from as early as the 12<sup>th<\/sup> century and is among the oldest surviving European seasonal carols. Commonly sung as part of a traditional Irish Christmas celebration, the <em>Wexford Carol<\/em> tells the story of the Nativity in rhyming verse. The title of the carol refers to County Wexford on the east coast of Ireland. After centuries of aural passage, it was first written down by William Grattan Flood (1857-1928), music director of St. Aidan\u2019s Cathedral in Enniscorthy. Versions of the lyrics exist in both English and Gaelic, though historians have yet to confirm which version came first. This carol is written in Mixolydian mode, so be sure to listen for its distinctive minor seventh.<\/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: The Wexford Carol arr. Timothy Noon\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qSNBw_0gSU8?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\">Personent Hodie<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Personent Hodie<\/em> (On this day Earth shall ring) is a triumphant Medieval Christmas carol with anonymous origins that, along with other seasonal carols such as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2021-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>In dulci jubilo<\/em><\/a>, <em>Good King Wenceslas<\/em>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2022-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Gaudete!<\/em><\/a><em>,<\/em> was discovered in a 16<sup>th<\/sup>-century Finnish songbook called <em>Piae Cantiones<\/em>. Over the past century or so, the carol has been arranged several times\u2014the version arranged by Gustav Holst has remained particularly popular. Interestingly, the text is based on a Medieval song referring to St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children and the historical prototype for Santa Claus. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com\/Hymns_and_Carols\/on_this_day_earth_shall_ring.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">You can find an English translation of the text celebrating the Nativity 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=\"Personent Hodie (Festival Processional) - Loyola Academy Honors Chamber Singers, Chorale, &amp; C.V.E.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ejJjPE_DPYA?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\">Candlelight Carol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>English composer and conductor John Rutter (b. 1945) is one of the most influential musical voices in 20<sup>th<\/sup> and 21<sup>st<\/sup>-century choral repertoire. Both his arrangements of known pieces and original works are familiar and beloved by choirs all over the world. Rutter\u2019s original Christmas carol, <em>Candlelight Carol<\/em>, was written in 1984 and inspired by Geertgen tot Sint Jans\u2019s 15th-century painting, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgallery.org.uk\/paintings\/geertgen-tot-sint-jans-the-nativity-at-night\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cNativity at Night.\u201d<\/a> Geertgen\u2019s imagery shows Mary and a gathering of angels gazing down at the infant Jesus lying in a manger. Rutter\u2019s carol beautifully captures the intimacy and serenity represented by the subjects of the painting.<\/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=\"Candlelight Carol - John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MbudPRPrFWI?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 Spotless Rose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to John Rutter\u2019s <em>Candlelight Carol<\/em>, <em>A Spotless Rose<\/em> by English composer and organist Herbert Howells (1892-1983)<strong> <\/strong>has become a staple of the season, particularly in the U.K. The carol was included in a set of three early works composed by Howells called <em>Three Carol Anthems<\/em> and uses poetry by an anonymous 15<sup>th <\/sup>or 16<sup>th<\/sup>-century poet. <em>A Spotless Rose<\/em> comes across as both simple in its a cappella setting and highly expressive in its text setting. The poetry contains metaphors for Jesus\u2019s birth and the purity of Mary, the \u201cspotless rose\u201d being Jesus and the \u201ctender root\u201d being Mary. The original poem was written in German, \u201cEs ist ein Rose entsprungen\u201d (Lo, how a rose e\u2019er blooming), which may conjure up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2020-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">another popular Christmastime carol<\/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=\"Apollo5: A Spotless Rose by Herbert Howells\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fU039d1wthI?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\">Cherry Tree Carol<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many centuries-old songs, the traditional English carol referred to as the <em>Cherry Tree Carol<\/em> has anonymous origins and likely dates from the 15<sup>th<\/sup> century. Over the years, the piece has evolved into an extensive assembly of variations in text and music. One possible origin story for the carol is that it was first used in one of the Coventry Plays, a cycle of mystery plays performed in Coventry, England, in the late Middle Ages (and perhaps also the source of the famous <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2020-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Coventry Carol<\/em><\/a>). To add to the fogginess around this piece, the versions sung today may be a composite of three separate but thematically related carols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lyrics for the <em>Cherry Tree Carol<\/em> relate to an apocryphal story in which a pregnant Mary and Joseph are traveling to Bethlehem and pass by a cherry orchard. Mary asks Joseph to pick cherries from one of the trees, but Joseph refuses, citing skepticism over their child\u2019s paternity. Jesus then commands the tree to lower its branches from the womb, causing Joseph to repent.<\/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=\"The Cherry-Tree Carol (Arr. D. Wilcocks for Choir)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o85y7BXmdzE?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\">Still, still, still<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Still, still, still<\/em>, a peaceful Austrian Wiegenlied (lullaby) originating from Salzburg in the early 1800s, is commonly performed today in both German and English. The melody comes from a traditional Austrian folk song, and the text comprises two to five verses (depending on what version you are singing) portraying Mary soothing the infant Jesus to sleep. The gentle, straightforward tune allows for numerous creative arrangements and makes it an accessible piece for larger groups of singers. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpdl.org\/wiki\/index.php\/Still,_still,_still\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read an English translation of this seasonal Wiegenlied 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=\"Traditional: Still, Still, Still Weils Kindlein Schlafen Will\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/iBm5QCnAl-4?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\">The Seven Joys of Mary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While not exclusively a Christmastime carol, <em>The Seven Joys of Mary<\/em> has become closely associated with the season in recent years. The devotion to the seven joys of Mary has been a tradition since the Medieval era and has produced no shortage of musical material ever since. Historically, the subjects of the seven Joys have varied; in versions sung today, those Joys typically constitute the following: 1. Mary sees her infant son; 2. Jesus heals the infirm; 3. Jesus restores sight to the blind; 4. Jesus \u201creads the bible o\u2019er;\u201d 5. Jesus raises the dead; 6. Jesus bears the crucifix; and 7. Jesus ascends to Heaven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Below is the most frequently performed version of the carol, composed by Sir Richard Terry (1864-1938):<\/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=\"The Seven Joys of Mary\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LnW6ShNZFxA?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\">Quem pastores laudavere<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like many of the carols featured in this article, the gentle Nativity carol, <em>Quem pastores laudavere <\/em>(He whom the shepherds praised), has Medieval origins. The anonymous source of the text is from 15th-century Germany, and variations of Michael Praetorius&#8217;s (1571-1621) arrangement from the early 1600s remains popular even today. The carol\u2019s Latin text portrays an outside perspective of the Nativity\u2014the worship of the shepherds and the wise men at Jesus\u2019s birth. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.traditioninaction.org\/religious\/Music_P000_files\/P064_Quem.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sing along with an English translation of the Latin verses 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=\"Anonymous: Quem pastores laudavere\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/awp_0V-c3UU?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\">Verbum caro factum est<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Verbum caro factum est <\/em>(The Word was made flesh), an oft-quoted passage from the Gospel of John referring to the Nativity, has been a facet of Christmas Day mass for centuries. Many composers have taken the liturgical text and set it to music, making it a harmonious fixture of the season. Among the most frequently performed versions of the hymn is Hans Leo Hassler&#8217;s (1564-1612) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/art\/polyphony-music\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">polyphonic<\/a> motet from the late 16<sup>th<\/sup> century. In this style of musical writing, the singers are split into two groups and pass the melody back and forth, culminating in a satisfying<em> tutti<\/em> finish. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cpdl.org\/wiki\/index.php\/Verbum_caro_factum_est\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Read an 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=\"Victoria Ensemble | Verbum caro factum est\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wgJIw9RfjHY?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\">While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks<\/em> is an English carol written by Irish-born poet Nahum Tate (1652-1715).<strong> <\/strong>Tate\u2019s lyrics summarize the Nativity story in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Luke%202%3A8-14&amp;version=NIV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gospel of Luke 2:8-14<\/a>. Fun fact: Tate\u2019s hymn was possibly the first Christmas hymn authorized for worship by the Anglican Church. As for the accompanying music, two versions have remained popular. If you\u2019re in the U.K., the standard version sung is \u201cWinchester Old,\u201d an anonymous tune from the 16<sup>th<\/sup> century. In the U.S., carolers typically use a melody from an aria from G. F. Handel\u2019s opera, <em>Cyrus, King of Persia<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The video below is a performance of the \u201cWinchester Old\u201d version of the carol. <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/6xXB9RlMd3k?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here to listen to the G. F. Handel melody<\/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=\"While sheperds watched their flocks by night | Christmas Carols from King&#039;s 2021\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1GHRNhcqse8?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\">Vamos, pastores, vamos<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Vamos, pastores, vamos <\/em>(Let\u2019s go, Shepherds, Let\u2019s go) is a popular Christmas <em>villancico<\/em> (Spanish carol) that evokes the excitement and celebratory mood of the shepherds hastening to Bethlehem to welcome the Baby Jesus. The <em>Flor y Canto<\/em>, a massive Spanish-language hymnal for Catholic worship, credits Spanish priest and musician Evaristo Ciria Sanz (1802-1875) with the authorship of the carol, while other sources assign credit to prolific Colombian songwriter Jerem\u00edas Quintero Guti\u00e9rrez (1884-1964).<\/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=\"Vamos, pastores, vamos | Pink Martini ft. Edna Vazquez - Live from San Francisco\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/or7P6NHwf-g?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&nbsp;<\/em>in previous years\u2019 editions of&nbsp;<em>The Stories of Twelve Carols:<\/em>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2022-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2022 Stories<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2021-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2021 Stories<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-carols-2020-edition\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2020 Stories<\/a>,&nbsp;and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-famous-carols\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2019 Stories<\/a>. And be sure to tune in starting <strong>December 22, 2023<\/strong> to hear your favorites played on air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\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,&nbsp;John Pitman, selects twelve carols from our extensive&nbsp;Festival of Carols&nbsp;library for a deep dive into their origins. In 2019, we explored holiday classics like Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and O Tannenbaum,&nbsp;while 2020\u2019s post&nbsp;delved into international &#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":151,"featured_media":94642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4909],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-21 04:17:45","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\/94641","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=94641"}],"version-history":[{"count":57,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94804,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94641\/revisions\/94804"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/94642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=94641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=94641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=94641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}