‘Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming’ Is a Musician’s Christmas Carol
Here is theology as harmony.
The 12 Days of Christmas Songs
Reflections on the music of the season, both secular and sacred
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The Mysteries of ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’
No one is quite sure what the most rewritable holiday song means.
The Adorable Grandiosity of ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’
We’re talking expansive adoration, not cute-puppy adorable.
‘Jingle Bells’: A Racy Drinking Song (for Thanksgiving)
On the uncertain history of the first song to be broadcast from space
The Cosmopolitan Genius of ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’
The song, one of the “Great Four” Anglican hymns, now has a life outside the church.
‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’: A Historical Dialectic
Mariah Carey, the great philosopher of love in our time
‘Once in Royal David’s City’: A Staid Victorian Sermon
It’s a hard carol to love, and yet love it we do.
‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’: An Ode to Seasonal Melancholy
The song popularized by Judy Garland in Meet Me in St. Louis captures the bittersweet nostalgia many feel around this time of year.
‘Christmas Time Is Here’: A Hymn for the Ages
The 50-year-old song from “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is here to stay.
The Quiet Universality of ‘Silent Night’
The song’s message of peace helped bring about the Christmas truce during World War I.