Christmas Carols

An English Enchantment

A rich history of one of our most popular kinds of songand a celebration of Christmas music

The English Christmas carol has been sung in court and cloister, tavern and field since medieval times. But with the first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1880and with a view to encouraging revellers into churchthe humble carol became integral to the Christmas tradition. Carol concerts are attended all over the world, and the service at Kings College, Cambridge, has been broadcast since 1928 to millions of listeners.

Singer and author John Potter guides us through the development of this unique tradition. Carols, originating as secular delights of the medieval and Tudor court and chapel, were brought by the Victorians to a new urban audience. Priests, poets, and composers have rearranged ancient songs and created new ones ever since, incorporating European carols into the evolving English tradition.<