The Early Music Show - Christmas Carols

Catherine Bott looks back on the origin of the Christmas carol and roots out some of the original versions of some of today's popular tunes. Carols appeared in Europe thousands of years ago, but they weren't originally the Christmas fare we know today. They were pagan songs for the Winter Solstice and people would sing them as they danced around stone circles. The word 'carol' suggests a dance-song expressing praise or joy. Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations and so the link was established between carols and Christmas. More often than not Christmas carols were popular tunes to be performed in gathering places or in the streets, only slowly did they start to find there way into the church. Some of the melodies for today's popular carols are very old, and through the course of this programme Catherine draws on some of the original versions of the carols, for songs such as Ding Dong Merrily On High and Good King Wenceslas. She explores some of the ways in which early composers have brought carols into the body of the church service. John Foster: While shepherds watched their flocks Taverner Consort and Players Andrew Parrott (conductor) VIRGIN CLASSICS 503680 CD 1 Track 2 Trad: Gabriel fram heven-king (Angelus ad virginem) Andrew Parrott (tenor) Dorren Muskett (hurdy-gurdy) EMI CDC 7498092 Track 17 Trad: Peperit virgo (The Red Book of Ossory) Holly Cluett (soprano) Andrea Budgey (harp) AMON RA CD SAR 63 Track 5 Trad: Verbum caro: In hac anni circulo Taverner Consort Andrew Parrott (conductor) EMI CDC 7498092 Track 21 Segue to: Trad: Now may we singen Oxford Camerata Jeremy Summerly (conductor) NAXOS 8.550751 Track 13 Trad: Nova Nova Pro Cantione Antiqua ALTO ALC 1004 Track 15 Segue to: Trad: Goday my Lord Syre Christemasse Pro Cantione Antiqua ALTO ALC 1004 Track 16 Trad: Nato canunt omnia - Sequentia ad Misam in gallicantu in Nativate Domini Pro Cantione Antiqua Bruno Turner (conductor) DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 05472 77446-2 Track 5 Segue to: Trad: Jhesu, fils virginis Pro Cantione Antiqua Bruno Turner (conductor) DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 05472 77446-2 Track 6 Segue to: Richard Smert: Nowell, Nowell Pro Cantione Antiqua Bruno Turner (conductor) DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI 05472 77446-2 Track 9 Trad: In Dulci Jubilo Oxford Camerata Jeremy Summerly (conductor) NAXOS 8.553578 Track 9 Segue to: Trad: Branle de l'Officiel Taverner Consort and Players Andrew Parrott (conductor) EMI CDC 7498092 Track 24 Segue to: Trad: Tempus adest floridum Oxford Camerata Jeremy Summerly (conductor) NAXOS 8.553578 Track 3 Trad: Gaudete Stephen Charlesworth (baritone) Taverner Consort and Players EMI CDC 7498092 Track 20 Trad: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen The Mellstock Band THE SERPENT PRESS SER008 Track 14.