Chor des Bayerischen Issues Lauda Per la Nativita de Signore on BR Klassik
On its new CD from BR-KLASSIK, the Bavarian Radio Chorus, directed by Howard Arman, presents Christmas music from Italy. With his Lauda per la natività del Signore, Ottorino Respighi modernised the medieval nativity play of the same name by the religious lyricist Jacopone da Todi. He had already explored art forms of the past in adaptations of early music, re-creations and free works based on Gregorian chants. In this piece, he assigned the medieval verses to three soloists - the angel (soprano), the Virgin Mary (mezzo-soprano), and the shepherd (tenor) - as well as a chamber choir.
Accompanied by selected woodwind instruments reminiscent of the music of Italian shepherds, and by four-handed piano and triangle, the miracle of Christmas is brought to life in a simple yet impressive way.
Francesco Paolo Frontini is remembered less for his compositions than for his many collections of Sicilian folk songs. From his Canti religiosi del popolo siciliano (Religious Songs of the Sicilian People, published in 1938), a collection of 22 songs for voice and piano underlaid with Sicilian dialect verses and their Italian translations, Howard Arman selected eight songs and arranged them for choir and instruments.
Like Frontini, who already included regional variants from Catania, Palermo, and other parts of the Mediterranean island, Arman also arranged different regional versions of two songs. The melody of the Italian Marian carol "hich is one of the most popular Christmas carols in the German-speaking countries with its opening verse O du fröhliche, could possibly also have originated from Sicily. The arrangement is once again by Howard Arman.
Voces8 Foundation Choir & Orchestra Release Rose Ever Blooming
VOCES8 Foundation Orchestra, Jack Liebeck (violin), VOCES8 Foundation Choir, Barnaby Smith (countertenor), Katie Jeffries-Harris
Rose Ever Blooming honors the role of Mary in the story of Jesus, highlighting the importance of family and the eternally strong bonds between mother and son. Inspired by poetry by Patricia Monaghan, we have constructed a libretto featuring twelve of these poems. Traditional Christmas carols are woven together with this poetry, acting as musical touchstones while also supporting the themes and narratives in Monaghan's poetry.
Each divine moment of the Christmas story is presented here with a human counterpart. These poems portray Mary in all her humanity and as a reluctant hero of the Christmas story. In Rose Ever Blooming, Mary's story is presented as a reflection from the end of her life, beginning with the Annunciation and ending with her own list of Beatitudes, praising the ordinary and the everyday blessings we take for granted.
We see the onset of motherhood as a metamorphosis from ordinary girl to one who will "bring forth the future." A new Magnificat, not praising an entity outside ourselves, recognizes the divine within all of us. It was refreshing to tell Mary's story through her eyes, and Monaghan's brilliant portrayal of her character shines through in these sensitive and poignant poems.
- Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy C. Takach
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Lo, How a Rose
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: The Beginning of the Story
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Annunciation: With a Sound Like Wing
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Gabriel's Message
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: And Then It Was Over
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Miracles
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: A Stranger Tells Us the News
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Life After Angels
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming C. Takach: Resurrection
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Magnificat
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: I Said Yes to Hope
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Beatitudes y
Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach: Woman Clothed With the Sun
Regent Records: New Sasha Johnson Manning: A Year at Third
Born in Manchester (1963) in the northwest of England, Sasha Johnson Manning studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music.
Upon graduation, she established a career as a professional singer and choir director and also taught.
Though she had written much for local choirs, her compositional skills were significantly encouraged through a formal association with the Saint Louis Chamber Chorus where she became its ‘Composer-in-Residence,’ creating an 8-movement ‘Requiem’ (Regent REGCD255).
In parallel with her growing reputation in the Midwest, Sasha has been applauded in the UK for her appealing and affecting music, with ‘The Manchester Carols’ (a collaboration with the poet, Carol Ann Duffy) enjoying much popularity.
Another notable commission came from the BBC, resulting in ‘The People’s Passion’, a work performed both in the UK, and far beyond, in Europe, Africa and the USA.
For those who know Sasha primarily as a choral composer, this instrumental anthology will come as a surprise, but it provides important testimony to her versatility as an artist.
Each month Third Baptist Church in Saint Louis, Missouri, features in their Sunday services solo keyboard works on a theme recognizing the religious season and time of year.
‘A Year at Third’ was commissioned to fulfill that role. Modelled on ‘The Seasons’ by Tchaikovsky, the twelve short pieces are beautiful studies, capturing the different character of the twelve months of the year in quintessentially English styles.
The recording concludes with two Christmas works for piano and String Quintet – the second an extended work in three movements – featuring rhapsodic treatments of well-known Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany carols.
All the music on the disc is recorded here for the first time.
with Chantal Incandela (track 13) and Anita Hagerman (tracks 14–16) double bass conducted by Philip Barnes (tracks 13–16)
A Year at Third: 12 studies for Solo Piano
1 January: Melody of the cold earth, richness of kings’ gifts, new growth and promise of wholeness
2 February: The redemptive power of love
3 March: ‘Lead me to the rock that is higher than I’
4 April – Palm Sunday: An excitable crowd, perhaps not fully comprehending the true significance of what it is they are witnessing
5 May: The green hill
6 June: The Eternal Father
7 July : Be confident! Trust Jesus! God is our hope and strength!
8 August: Like as the hart
9 September: Finding God in the darkest depths
10 October: Affirmation
11 November: Awake, my soul
12 December: O come, O come, Emmanuel
13 On Christmas Day (for Piano and String Quintet)
A Christmas Rhapsody (for Piano and String Quintet)
Marina Baranova release new Christmas Album "Star of Mendelssohn" on Berlin Classics
As winter approaches and the lights twinkle in the windows, a time of reflection and music begins for many. For Marina Baranova, born in Kharkiv and a resident of Germany for many years, Christmas is far more than just a festive occasion. It's a moment where cultures, traditions, and personal stories converge. With her new album, "The Star of Mendelssohn," she invites listeners to cross this bridge between worlds—and rediscover Mendelssohn.
Baranova, whose musical roots are diverse and vibrant, understood music as a universal language from an early age.
Influenced by the Eastern European piano school and a home filled with Bach, Mozart, jazz, and blues, her childhood fostered the openness that characterizes her work today. Christmas was initially foreign to her — her Jewish heritage and Soviet upbringing meant she largely ignored the holiday for a long time.
It was only through her children that Christmas became a personal experience for her: "For me, Christmas is a festival of love that possesses utopian potential. It is a time when people come together, empathy and understanding grow, and differences can be overcome," says Baranova.
The Star of Mendelssohn
1 "The Midwinter Night's Dream" Christmas Scherzo
2 Songs With Words: Greensleeves extended, Op. 19 No. 6
3 Songs With Words: Daughters of Zion extended, Op. 67 No. 2
4 Songs With Words: Auld Lang Syne extended, Op. 30 No. 1
5 Es wird ein Stern aus Jacob Aufgehn
6 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Improvisation in E Major
7 Drinking Song, Op. 75 No. 3
8 Songs With Words: O come, All Ye Faithfull extended, Op. 19 No. 1
9 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
10 Auf Flügeln des Gesanges
11 From the Christmas Tree Suite: Carillon
12 From the Christmas Tree Suite: In dulci jubilo /The Sheperds at the Manger
13 The Sense of Cohesion
14 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Improvisation in F-Sharp Major
Jonas Müller and the Tomasi Musso Guitar Duo present Schubert's Winterreise
In this debut album, baritone Jonas Müller and the Tomasi Musso Guitar Duo present Schubert's Winterreise, for which the accompaniment has been arranged for two guitars.
This creates a new dimension demanding of a different approach from the singer, who must now internalise what the piano used to provide.
This is particularly in keeping with the idea that Winterreise is not simply a collection of songs composed by a travelling horn player, but that the existential encounter between the stranger and the hurdy-gurdy man gives rise to new songs that have never been heard before and can only be sung together.
24 Christmas carols from every corner of the German-speaking world – freshly arranged and with cheeky charme.
Anyone who has ever strolled through a Christmas market during Advent knows: amidst the scent of mulled wine, the sounds of pan flutes, and children's choirs, familiar melodies mingle with the hectic bustle.
For those who, after all the hustle and bustle, wish to channel the many impressions into a harmonious flow, the CD "vollxlied xmas" offers the perfect solution: a collection for Advent and Christmas that beautifully combines tradition and new discoveries.
With each of the 24 tracks, Ensemble Nobiles opens a new sonic world. The foundation of this Advent calendar is a dramaturgy of diversity, emphasizing the opportunity for sonic rediscoveries, even of well-known melodies.
The four Sundays of Advent stand out from the other pieces. Guest choirs accompany the singers, lending these tracks a special brilliance.
Ensemble Nobiles' ninth album follows their 2020 release, vollxlied – Made in Germany, which invited listeners on a musical journey through German-speaking countries, spanning styles, regions, and eras – this time with a Christmas theme.
Christmas carols from every corner of the German-speaking world – freshly arranged and with a cheeky charm.
New Release on Avie Records of 13th-15th Century Christmas with Concordian Dawn ensemble
New York-based early music ensemble Concordian Dawn presents Veni Redemptor Gentium, a joyful and introspective celebration of the Christmas season centred around songs from the 13th – 15th centuries, plus two world-premiere recordings of works by Australian-born composer David Yardley.
1. This Holy Tym Oure Lord Was Born Kennedy, Hedberg (voice and percussion), Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice and percussion), McCargar (voice and percussion), Mor (recorder and percussion), Seligmann (vielle)
2. Isaiah and Sybil’s Prophecies McCargar (voice), Thompson (harp), Mor (ney), Seligmann (vielle), Evans, Karageorgiou
3. Gabriel fram Heven King Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
5. Kuando el rey Nimrod Mor (voice and percussion), Seligmann (vielle), Hedberg (voice and percussion), Thompson (voice and percussion), McCargar (percussion)
6. Alma redemptoris mater McCargar (voice)
7. Ave, regina caelorum/Alma redemptoris mater Evans, Hedberg (voice), Mor (recorder), Thompson (harp)
8. Orientis partibus Mor (recorder), Seligmann (vielle), Thompson (harp), McCargar (percussion)
9. Alle psallite cum luya Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice), Seligmann (percussion), Mor (percussion)
10. Psallite regi glorie: Thompson (voice and harp)
11. Hail Mary, full of grace Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
12. Personent Hodie Seligmann (vielle), Thompson (harp), Mor (percussion)
Apollo Ensemble releases "Weihnachten in the 17th Century"
Weihnachten in the 17th century
German Christmas Music
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) 1) Nun komm der Heiden Heiland Matthias Weckmann (1616-1674) 2) Dialogus: Gegrüsset seist du, Holdselige Vincent Lübeck (1654-1740) 3) Wilkommen, süsser Bräutigam Christoph Bernard (1628-1692) 4) Fürchtet euch nicht Michael Praetorius 5) Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her Heinrich Schmelzer (c1620-1680) 6) Venite ocius! transeamusad Bethlehem Dietrich Buxtehude 1637-1707) 7) Salve Jesu, patris gnate BuxWV 94 8) Herr nun lässt du deinen Diener BuxWV 37 9) In dulci jubilo BuxWV 52
Apollo Ensemble Agnes van Laar, Janneke Stoute soprano Michiel Meijer bass David Rabinovich, Daphne Oltheten violin Robert de Bree, Emma Huijsser recorder Annemarie Kosten-Dür, Agnieszka Papierska viola Cassandra Luckhardt viola da gamba Thomas Oltheten dulcian Marion Boshuizen organ
Benjamin David Knoedler Wins the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Holiday Carol Commission Competition
The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir has announced that Benjamin David Knoedler has won their Holiday Carol Commission Competition.
According to their announcement, Knoedler, " Based in Greenville, South Carolina, he
serves as Choral Music Editor for Majesty Music and regularly composes
for choirs of all ages. His works have been performed across the United
States, Europe, and Asia, and his 2017 composition A Child’s Prayer
earned first place in the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Young Composers’
Competition."
"Audiences will experience the world
premiere of Benjamin David Knoedler’s new carol during the 2025 Festival
of Carols, held at the Schrott Center for the Arts and The Palladium at
the Center for the Performing Arts."
Four extraordinary voices meet the magic of Christmas: the German Gents! This phenomenal vocal ensemble presents its festive repertoire — a masterful mix of traditional German and international Christmas songs, complemented by timeless classics in a cappella style. Their album Winter Wonderland combines all of this and will be released on November 21, 2025
With their unmistakable sound and perfect harmony, the four singers bring the most wonderful time of the year to life – sometimes contemplative, sometimes full of joie de vivre, with “Let it snow,” “Last Christmas,” “O Tannenbaum,” and other Christmas evergreens.
Arthur Togneri and Ian Crawford Win the 2025 Sir David Willcocks Carol Composer Competition
The Bach Choir announced that Arthur Togneri has won the 2025 Sir David Willcocks Carol Composer Competition 17-and-under. The Choir also announced that Ian Crawford has won the competition for 18-and-over.
Per the Choir's website:
Arthur Togneri is a British composer, organist, and pianist. He studies composition at The Purcell School of Music.
Arthur’s carol, The Winds of Winter, is
about longing for the warmth of summer in the cold of winter. He uses
word painting in the instrumentation to accentuate the text by Emily
Huntington Miller. The piece ends with an unresolved chord – the
lingering harmony longs for the warmth of summer, which is just out of
reach.
Regarding Crawford the Choir's Website states:
Ian Crawford is a composer, conductor, and music teacher based in London and the North West.
Ian’s carol, Adam lay ybounden, is a new setting of the well-known 15th-century text which relates to the events of the Book of Genesis.
The piece reflects the journey of the text it’s based on, which moves
from anger and incredulity at its opening through to joy and delight at
its conclusion.
Every year, the judges reads like a who's who list. This year they included: David Hill MBE, Sir John Rutter,Errollyn Wallen, Joanna Marsh and Jonathan Willcocks.
The judges shortlist included:
Iain Carnegie, UK – Hoseanna
Isaac Lovdahl, USA – Wilt Thou Be Strong
Eilir Owen Griffiths, UK – Puer Natus in Bethlehem
Andrew Crookall, UK – Sing and Rejoice
Donald Wetherick, UK – Love Came Down (A Christmas Lullaby)
The 17-and-under shortlist:
Ernest Chui, UK – A Tender Shoot
Every year, The Bach Choir performs the winning carols at Carols at Cadogan.
Coro Releases "The Wise Men and the Star: A Christmas Collection by The Sixteen
The Wise Men and the Star. Album by The Sixteen
Christmas simply wouldn’t be Christmas without the iconic voices of The Sixteen providing a soundtrack to the season. Celebrated for collections that provide an alternative to the customary festive offerings, this new album from the world-renown choir is no exception.
No other festival in the Christian year has inspired so many composers and such a variety of musical styles as Christmas. The Wise Men and the Star features a veritable cornucopia of yuletide music from the premieres of three new works to traditional carols including "Away in a manger" and "In the bleak midwinter," and modern classics such as Eric Whitacre’s "Lux aurumque" and Mykola Leontovich’s "Carol of the bells." This new album promises something for everyone.
Margaret RIZZA 1. O Sapientia
Eric WHITACRE 2. Lux Aurumque
Bernard ROSE 3. Our Blessed Lady's Lullaby
Oliver TARNEY 4. The Wise Men and the Star
James McCARTHY 5. Peaceful was the Night
Traditional (arr. Willcocks) 6. Away in a manger
Traditional (arr. Willcocks) 7. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Traditional 8. Deck the hall with boughs of holly
Gareth TRESEDER 9. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Celilia McDOWALL 10. Brightest Star
Alec ROTH 11. Lullaby Carol
Reena ESMAIL 12-14. A Winter Breviary
Peter CORNELIUS 15. The Three Kings
Jeremy DIBBLE 16. Dormi, Jesu! (A Lullaby) *
Kim PORTER 17. Benediction *
Peter HAYWARD 18. The Christ-Child's Lullaby *
John IRELAND 19. New Prince, New Pomp
Gustav HOLST 20. In the bleak midwinter
Margaret RIZZA 21. As Joseph was a-walking
BONUS TRACK Mykola LEONTOVICH 22. Carol of the Bells
Jamie W. Hall Wins the Kantos Carol Competition 2025
The Kantos Chamber Choir has announced that Jamie W. Hall has won the Kantos Carol Competition 2025.
His winning entry was ‘Balulalow’ which was premiered at Candlelit Carols with Kantos performances December 12, 2025
Hall states:
“The aim with this setting was to combine the quiet warmth and intimacy that exists between mother and newborn, with a joyful bubbling-over of love, not simply of parent towards child, but the love of all believers for the infant Christ.”
Regent Records Releases "A Year at Birmingham" with the Choir of Birmingham Cathedral
The newest release in the collectable ‘A Year at..’ series takes us to the glorious baroque church of St Philip in the heart of Birmingham, which became the Cathedral of the new Birmingham Diocese in 1905.
The Cathedral is renowned for its graceful Italianate architecture and the remarkable late nineteenth-century stained-glass windows, many by Edward Burne-Jones.
In this first recording from Birmingham under musical director, David Hardie, we are taken on a musical journey through the church’s year from Advent to Christ the King.
Alongside the great festivals, Birmingham Cathedral, situated at the heart of Britain’s ‘Second City’, as well as celebrating the cultural and demographic diversity of this great city, has a special mission to support the vulnerable and marginalised in society. The recording features musical items performed during the year to recognise all aspects of its mission.
Advent
1 Rorate caeli – Humphrey Clucas
Christmas
2 The holly and the ivy – June Nixon*
3 In silent night – Mitchell B Southall
Epiphany
4There shall a star from Jacob come forth – Felix Mendelssohn*
Candlemas
5 Nunc dimittis – Gustav Holst
Racial Justice Sunday
6 Resignation – Florence Price
Annunciation
7 Ave Maria – Ben Ponniah
Lent and Passiontide
8Ex ore innocentium – John Ireland* 3:32
Easter
9 Ye choirs of new Jerusalem – Charles Villiers Stanford*
Ascension
10Offertoire pour la fête de l’Ascension – Théodore Dubois Organ solo: David Hardie
Pentecost
11Come down, O Love divine – William Henry Harris*
Trinity
12Great Lord of Lords – Charles Wood
Corpus Christi
13 Panis angelicus – César Franck*
14 Corpus Christi Carol – Judith Bingham*
Harvest
15 Let the people praise thee, O God – William Mathias*
Dedication Festival
16 Locus iste – Anton Bruckner
All Saints
17Give us the wings of faith – Ernest Bullock*
All Souls
18In paradisum – Philip Moore
Safeguarding Sunday
19A Child’s Prayer – James MacMillan
Christ the King
20Let all mortal flesh keep silence – Edward Cuthbert Bairstow
Christmas Carol Film Flub In Five A Christmas Carol films
by R. Rojas
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was published in 1843. There are only two musical pieces mentioned in the book. They are "Sir Roger de Coverley" and "God
rest you merry, Gentleman."
Using the book, we had problems finding any clues as to when the events in "A Christmas Carol" actually takes place. Does the story take place the year of the publication: 1843? Or before? Let us assume the story takes place in that year for the purposes of this article.
"Sir Roger de Coveley"
"Sir Roger de Coverley" is a fiddle tune, more appropriately an English/Scottish Country dance. Versions of this dance were published as early as 1695 in The Dancing Master.
"Sir Roger De Coverly"
During Fezziwig's party (Stave 2), if a film uses something other
than "Sir Roger de Coverly," which is so widely available in scores
and public domain websites, and also in recording, the firm's producers deserve
a visit by the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman" or "God Bless You, Merry Gentleman"
As for "God Rest You Merry, Gentleman," it is the only carol mentioned in the book, although group singing is mentioned at various parts in the book. In Stave 1, of "God Rest You Merry Gentleman," Dicken's writes:
The owner of one scant
young nose, gnawed and mumbled by the hungry cold as bones are gnawed by
dogs, stooped down at Scrooge’s keyhole to regale him with a
Christmas carol: but at the first sound of
“God bless you, merry gentleman! May nothing
you dismay!”
Scrooge seized the ruler with such energy of action, that the singer
fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial
frost.
Of course, the carolers sing "God bless you, merry gentleman" a variation on the text. Dickens also moves the comma.
Although the carol "God rest" is mentioned in the
book, what tune were they using?
I had thought I heard one carol scholar lecture in which he
stated that it would not be sung to the tune as we know it. That tune would be
the "London Tune."(1)
We know that mention of the carol goes as far back as 1650.
The carol was printed in Three New Christmas Carols, London, on or about
1760. If my ear were correct in listening to the above-mentioned carol scholar,
he may have been referring to the tune "Cornish," of which was in
print at least by 1833 (Sandy's).(2)
The editors of The Oxford Book of Carols described
"Cornish" as the "usual version." The carol was already
included in 1833 in Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern by William B. Sandys who published both
"London Tune" and "Cornish."
We would assume that if Dickens were describing a story
taking place in London in the 1840s, the tune would be the "London
Tune." However, we also could imagine some Cornish migrants to London singing
the carol to the tune they are used to. Although the mining area described in
the book is not named, perhaps it was Cornwall. However, the Welsh may
disagree, and the miners have been portrayed as Welsh in one A Christmas
Carol adaptation (FX/BBC 1, 2019). Nevertheless, we can be too hasty as the Jeremey Summerly says the "London Tune" does not have origins in London. Further, the two carols books at the time, those belonging to Sandys and Davis Gilbert promoted carols from Western England.
Getting back to "God Rest...", I searched high and
low for a video performance of a choir singing "God Rest Your Merry, Gentleman" to "Cornish" tune, but to no avail. However, in a
video of Jeremey Summerly's lecture for Gresham College, "The
19th-century Taming of the Christmas Carol, from St Erth to Truro," he
speaks about Sandys and the carol. The St Luke’s of Chelsea Choir performs
the carol to both the "London Tune" and to "Cornish." The
performance is about 20 minutes into the lecture. A warning though, even the
"London Tune," as transcribed by Sandys, will sound different to our
ears.
"A Christmas Carol" 1938
The 1938 "A Christmas Carol," which starred Reginald Owen, had its score done by
Franz Waxman. In the introductory credits, he has a suite of "Silent
Night," jumping to a choral version of "Hark, the Herald." Of
course, it is to Felix Mendelssohn's music, which would not have been put to the
carol until ten years after A Christmas Carol's publication. (See below).
We will spare it as it is in the films credit introduction.
"God Rest You Merry, Gentleman"
As Scrooge goes to the pub for his meal after leaving the counting house, children carolers sing "God Rest Your Merry, Gentleman" using
the "London Tune." (book Stave 1).
"O Come All Ye Faithful"
With The Ghost of Christmas Present's visit (book Stave 2), they
visit a church where the congregation is signing "O Come all ye
faithful" which, historically, would have already been sung at that time. (3) William Crump, in his The Christmas Encyclopedia, states that the Duke of
Leeds heard the song sung at the Portuguese embassy in London in 1795. We are
assuming it was sung in English. Andrew Gant, author of The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs, says, "The first English version dates from around 1797." (p. 58).
There is also a suite that Waxman wrote which can be found online:
A Christmas Carol Suite - Franz Waxman
"Scrooge" 1951
This post-War United Kingdom film starring Alastair Simms is, by many, considered the quintessential A Christmas Carol adaptation. The soundtrack is by Richard Addinsell.
The
credits begin with "Hark, the Herald," which would not have been set
to Felix Mendelssohn's 1840 tune until 1855, after the publication of Dicken's book.
We will let this one go as it is in the credits.
"Silent Night"
As Scrooge walks to his office, some child carolers-beggers
sing "Silent Night." It also is played in the score in the background as
the Ghost of Christmas Past arrives (Book Stave 2). Composed in 1818, "Silent Night”
would have been about 25 years old by 1843, but its popularity grew fast. We will put
this as possibly-historically accurate.
Countering this is that the editors of the New Oxford
Book of Carols (NOBOC)(p. 304-305), who state "Silent Night" premiered in
Leipzig in 1832, and later published in Vier achte Tyroler Lieder by
A. R Friese. The editors do not say when it was published in English but we assume circa 1832, because the editors go on to mention Friese published in 1833. The editors talk
of the carol's popularity spreading in Germany, Austria, and "America,"
but add that in England, "Like 'Joy to the World', 'it was for a long time
considered vulgar in England and was omitted from most hymn- and
carol-books."
We did our own review of facsimiles of carol books published in the 1800s. Although not exhaustive, we did not see "Silent Night" in any carol books until 1899's The Westminster Carol Book: A Collection of Ancient and Modern Carols, which was compiled and arranged by Edgar Pettman. The entry in that book has "Arranged by Haydn."
"Hark, the Herald"
In the film, "Hark" is repeated again in the score
background, when the Ghost of Christmas Present arrives (Book Stave 3).
"Silent
Night" plays as background music for the Present's visit
to the Crachets, and then is played again as the film ends.
"Hark, the
Herald," is sung by the miners to Mendelssohn's tune, so here, this is
within the four walls of the film. It is safe to declare this historically
inaccurate (see below).
"I saw three ships"
This carol is played instrumentally when Scrooge gives a coin to Mrs. Dilber on Christmas morning. It is not within the four walls of the film. Nevertheless, it would have been heard or played in 1840s London.
Polka
At Fred's party, he askes that a polka be played. The song played sounds similar to a traditional Slovenian polka called "Stoparjeva" ("hitch-hiker"). The polka or proto-polka would have just started to make its way through Europe in the 1840s.
"Polka"
"Barbara Allen"
At Fred's party, the tradition English folk song "Barbara Allen" is sung. The song is documented as far back as 1666, though even way back then, it would feel gloomy to sing at a Christmas party.
"Barbara Allen"
Richard Addinsell wrote a suite for the film which can be found online:
Scrooge Suite
"A Christmas Carol" `1984
Nineteen Eighty-Four's A Christmas Carol is a bit
more amusing and is the most accurate musically. The soundtrack is by Nick Bicât. The Totally Rad Christmas Podcast has recently (2025) done a wonderful interview with Bicât.
Although the theme song
occupies much of the movie, including within the walls of the film with
carolers singing the theme with text, there is one potential musical mishap
depending on how one views it.
"The Sussex Carol"
The first carol sung in the film is "The Sussex
Carol," which some scholars have moved to label it "On Christmas
Night all Christian sing."(4) The words can be found as early as 1684 in an Irish text Small
Garland of Pious and Godly Songs (1684) by poet Luke Wadding.
It is found
in Henry Ramsden Bramley and John Stainer, Christmas Carols New and Old (London:
Novello, Ewer & Co., ca 1878).
It was largely forgotten when Ralph Vaughn
Williams and Cecil Sharp "re-discovered" the carol via their
fieldwork and recordings. The tune most sung today, Vaughn Williams took down
from Mrs. Harriet Verrall of Monk's Gate, near Horsham, Sussex (hence
"Sussex Carol").
Sharp first published his in 1911 in English Folk-Carols. His was sung to him by Mr. William Bayliss of Buckland of
Gloucestershire. Sharp notes in his book's notes, "The carol, set to a
modern tune, is published in Bramley and Stainer's collection; while three
traditional versions are printed in The Folk-Song Society's Journal (II,
pp. 126–7). It refers to the Bramley and Stainer's Christmas Carols New
and Old (London: Novello, Ewer & Co., ca 1878) although the tune was
different from those collected by Vaughn Williams and Sharp.
Vaughn Williams used the carol in his 1912 Fantasia
on Christmas Carols. He later published it as "Carol #2" in his Eight
Traditional English Carols (1919). The first printing of the music appears
to have been in The Folk-Song Society's Journal, Vol. 2, p. 127 in 1905.
The problem is that we do not know how old the tune is that
Vaughn Williams took down it. Could it have been sung in 1840s London? It is
possible.
There is also A Christmas Carol Suite that can be found online:
"A Christmas Carol Suite"
A Christmas Carol 1999 (a.k.a. "Patrick Stewert
version")
"While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night"
("Winchester Old")
In the 1999 TNT/Hallmark TV movie A Christmas Carol, Stephen Warbeck does the soundtrack. We would put this film as the most musically inaccurate.
In the film,
the carolers are next door to Scrooge's office singing "While Shepherds
Watched" to the "Winchester Old" tune. This is entirely possible
as we have elaborated on our post on this carol (The
Most Popular Christmas Song: "While Shepherds Watched"), there
were many tunes to "While Shepherds Watched" circulating. The text
was first published in 1696, and various tunes have been used. Called
"Winchester Old" as to not be confused with another
"Winchester" tune (called "Winchester New"), the editors of
the NOBOC date the tune to more one-hundred years
older than the text. (p. 143). The carol appears in a 1592 publication whose name is
too long to mention here, so see the editor's notes.
"Old King Wenceslas" (Pie cantiones)
In the film, a boy who is part of the carolers goes to
Scrooge's door and begins singing "Good King Wenceslas." There is a
problem with this.
Although the tune that "Good King Wenceslas" uses (the 13th-century
spring carol "Tempus adest floridum") is old and precedes the 1840s
by a few hundred years, the text is not as old.
English hymnwriter John Mason Neale set his text about King
Wenceslas to the music of "Tempus Adest Foridum" in 1853, ten years
after the purported date of the events in A Christmas Carol. The carol, as
we know it, first appeared in Carols for Christmas-Tide, published by
Novello & Co in 1853.
However, for this film, it is not Dicken's error, it is the
filmmakers.
"Hark, The Hearld Angels" (F. Mendelssohn)
In another scene, Bob Cratchit asks Tiny Tim to sing a carol , and he begins singing "Hark, the Hearld Angels Sing" to
Felix Mendelssohn's tune "Vaterland, in deinen Gauen"
from Mendelssohn's cantata Festgesang (Gutenberg Cantata). This cantata was first performed in 1840. (5) Now, remember, we are placing the events in A
Christmas Carol in 1843.
Although both the text and the cantata predate A
Christmas Carol, this scene is also in error.
Charles Wesley authored the poem from which we get the
carol. He wrote "Hymn for Christmas-Day" (Hark's original title)
and he published it in Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1739.
However, though it became an extremely popular carol sung to
many tunes, it was not sung to "Vaterland, in deinen Gauen"
until William Hayman Cummings set "Hark" to
the Mendelssohn's tune in 1855, more than ten years after the events
in A Christmas Carol.
It is possible that "Hark" could have been sung in
the early 1840s, but not to Mendelssohn's tune. Perhaps to
"Handel" or "C.B. Madon." Madon's version was from Martin
Madon's A Collection of Psalm and Hymn Tunes (1769). Other tunes that
predate Mendelsohn include "Savannah" (see "Love's Redeeming Work
is Done"), "Easter Hymn (in Lyra Davidica. 1708)(see "Christ
the Lord is Risen Today"), and "Salzburg" ("At the Lamb's
High Feast We Sing").(6)
"Love's Redeeming Work is Done"
"Jesus Christ is Risen Today"
"At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing"
Even the name took some time as Songs of the Nativity: being Christmas Carols, Ancient & Modern (1869) byJoshua Sylvester used "Hark the Merry Welkin sings."
"Silent Night"
When the Ghost of Christmas Present visits (Book Stave 3), he takes Scrooge
on a journey to which features miners and sailors celebrating Christmas. In
films, this is a not-often portrayed part of the book. The 1951 film portrays
the miners. While going on this tour, "Silent Night" is played and
also sung by the people Scrooge and the spirit visit (miners, sailors, etc.).
The legend it that "Silent Night" was composed on Christmas Eve 1818,
so it is possible that it might have achieved popular dispersal twenty-five
years later in 1843 as witnessed in the film. The editors of the NOBOC may
disagree (see above).
Disney's A Christmas Carol
It should be mentioned that Alan Silvestre's score for 2009's Disney's
A Christmas Carol, although superb, and one of my favorites, quotes carols
that would have been written /composed after the time of the events in A
Christmas Carol.
Those Silvestre samples:
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman (London Tune)
Joy to the World (tune used not put to Issac Watt words
until 1836)
Deck the Hall (tune is a Welsh one dating to the 16th
century)
Hark, the Hearld Angels (see above) - samples
both the text ("Touch my robe") and Mendelssohn's tune
Ave Maria (Bach/Gound)(although the J.S. Bach melody
from a "Prelude No. 1 in C major," BWV 846, from Book I of
his The Well-Tempered Clavier, would have been around since 1722,
Charles Gounod would not superimpose on it until 1853.
Come all ye faithful (1751)
Jolly Old St. Nicholas (tune first published in the 1870s)
Here we come a-wassailing (London Tune)
We are not going to punish Silvestre for sampling music that
is not actually used within the four walls of a film. However, to the carol
scholar and enthusiast, it is interesting paradox.
When Christmas Past takes Scrooge to his school (Book Stave 2), the
children pass by on a sleigh singing "Here we come a-wassailing" using the "London Tune" which would have been historically accurate, especially in the
countryside.
Boy Scrooge sings "Adeste fideles" while stuck in
his school. Again, historically possible (see above).
When Scrooge walks to his office the
day after Christmas (Book Stave 5), the carolers are singing "Joy to the World." As
mentioned above, the tune was put to "Joy to the World" in 1836, although the tune is older. Was it sung by carolers in 1843? We will put
this as possible, as the pairing was published in several books before
1843.(7)
At the very end of the film (Book Stave 5), Scrooge walks down the street
with Tiny Tim on his shoulders as carolers sing and Bob Cratchet gives the
final lines of the book. "Hark, the Herald" to Mendelssohn's tune is heard. It is hard to
see if the carolers are singing this or we are hearing solely the ending
song.
Scrooge walking with Tiny Tim on his shoulders implies
Scrooge has paid to cure Tiny Tim's ailments and disabilities, so some years
have passed.
If the carolers are singing it, it may be post-1855. We
are sure the filmmakers did not think this through, but if this scene is post-1855, carolers could be singing "Hark" to Mendelsohn's tune.
I searched the original illustrations that were used
for A Christmas Carol and Scrooge carrying Tiny Tim on his back is
not one of these original illustrations. One would think it was one of the
original illustrations, however, it probably came later.
Would carolers have been singing it on the streets of London
already in 1855. It is possible.
There is also a suite that can be found online for the film. I am not sure if it is on the soundtrack.
A Christmas Carol Movie Score Suite - Alan Silvestri
A Christmas Carol (FX/BBC 1)
"Good King Wenceslas"
The 2019 FX/BBC 1 adaptation has the least Christmas carols sung. In fact, most of the carols heard are heard faintly in the background. Volker Bertelmann and Dustin O'Halloran do the soundtrack. Before Bob Cratchet arrives to the office, the tune "Tempus Adest Foridum" is being played by an unseen street musical. We do not know the film maker's intention. Is this is supposed to be "Good King Wenceslas"? The tune would have existed since the 15th century but not put to the carol until after the events in the book in 1853. Gant says British diplomat brought a copy of the original Finish tune to London in that same year. (p. 138)
"Joy to the World"
The carolers sing "Joy to the World" outside Scrooge's counting house as the films begins, but they can only be heard faintly. Again, the tune is old, but the text and tune do not meet until 1836, so it is possible it would be sung by street carolers in 1840s/50s London.
"The First Noel"
In what we are assuming is Christmas Eve back at the Cratchets. Bob and Tim Cratchet are in the house. Bob carves wooden animals, and Tiny Tim practices his walking. A musician which seems to be outside, is playing "The First Noel," of which the editors of the NOBOC say the text dates back to the fifteenth century (p. 482) as it appears in broadsides from Cornwall during that period. It is published without music in Davis Gilbert Some Ancient Christmas Carols (1923). The editors state Davis Gilbert took it from an 1816 manuscript that also had the tune. We will not age the tune here as we have it was in existence in both tune and text before 1843.
This film adaptation may be set later than others as when the Ghost of Christmas Past visits Scrooge, he is shown the tombstone whose inscription states Scrooge died in 1851. At the beginning of the film, Marley's tombstone says 1842, so seven years later, at least if one if faithful to the book, would be 1849.
"Holly and the Ivy"
Later again, "The Holly and the Ivy" is heard in the background. This is entirely possible as is the carol by that time is old. When the two men solicit Scrooge for a donation, I believe "I saw three ships" is sung. This carol is also a very old carol.
"O Come all ye faithful"
"Come all ye faithful" is heard in the background, when Christmas Present visits. Again, very possible.
This A Christmas Carol adaptation visits the miners, as in the book. The only difference is that the miners are not singing, and the visit is done during a mine collapse in Wales. The mine is said to have belong to Scrooge and Marley.
Suo Gân
A Welsh congregation sings "Suo Gân" at the funeral for the miners. Though not Christmas carol, "Suo Gân" is included in many a Christmas choral album. In actuality, since it seems to be sung in Welsh by the congregation, we do know if the congregation sings the lullaby lyrics or is singing a hymn set the tune (e.g., "Christ Before Us," "Christ Has Risen While the Earth Slumbers," "Now the Heavens Start to Whisper"). We will defer to our Welsh speakers.
"Molly Malone"
Scrooge's father visits him also, his father sings "Molly Malone." Although not see in a publication until the late 1800s, scholars think the song existed in some form before 1800.
Conclusion
It seems that filmmakers think "Hark" and
"Silent Night" were sung all though the 1800s in the United Kingdom,
but this is incorrect. It seems there are many efforts to make A Christmas Carol historically accurate although to the detriment of making it musically inaccurate.
Notes:
1. Keyte, Hugh and Parrot, Andrew, ed. The New Oxford Book of Carols, Oxford University Press, 1992, p. 522. Jeremy Summerly says the titling of the tune "London" does not denote the tunes origins as it descents from a Mediterranean tune. It is used in "Here we come a wassailing." See link in Note 5.
2. Sandys, William. Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern, 1923.
3. Andrew Gant says in his The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs: "The first English versions dates from around 1797. A hymnologist writing in the 1890s knew of nearly forty versions." Nelson Books, 2014, p. 58.
4. The editors of The Oxford Book of Carols (1923) labeled the carol "The Sussex Carol," and the editors of The New Oxford Book of Carols (1992) label is "On Christmas Night all Christians sing (The Sussex Carol)". It may be because to be historically actuate, the editors of the New could not tie the carol only to Sussex. Sharp's version was taken from a man in Gloucestershire, so why not the "Gloucestershire Carol"? I would have to comment that the "On Christmas Night all Christians" title has not stuck as well as "Sussex Carol" and it is rare to see a recording of this carol called "On Christmas Night....". So, here we will stick with the 1923 name.
5. In Jeremy Summerly's lecture for Gresham College "A Cause for Caroling," "Vaterland, in deinen Gauen" is performed by the accompanying choir.
6. See Andrew Gant p. 111.
7. SeeNew Oxford Book of Carols, p. 270.
8. I am unsure if the "dwarfism" is the correct term of if it is pejorative or euphemistical. In some literature, "little person" is said to be the "preferred term" with persons with this condition. Actor Lenny Rush has portrayed Tiny Tim on stage an in the 2019 FX/BBC 1 adaptation of A Christmas Carol. He is about 10 years old in the when he played Tiny Tim in the film.
References:
Bramley, Henry Ramsden and Stainer, John, Christmas Carols New and Old, London: Novello, Ewer & Co., ca 1878.
Crump, William D. The Christmas Encyclopedia, McFarland, 2022.
Dearmer, Percy; Shaw, Martin; and Vaughan Williams, Ralph. Oxford Book of Carols, Oxford University Press, 1928.
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol, London: 1943.
Gant, Andrew. The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs, Nelson Books, 2015.
Keyte, Hugh and Parrot, Andrew, ed. The New Oxford Book of Carols, Oxford University Press, 1992.
