The Truth about Christmas Carols
Composer Howard Goodall uncovers the surprising and often secret history of the Christmas carol including how, over the centuries, carols have been banned by both church and state.
There could be nothing more sweet and sentimental than the sound of traditional carols performed by a velvet-voiced choir at Christmas. Or so you would think. Composer Howard Goodall uncovers the surprising and often secret history of the Christmas carol.
Far from being accepted as part of the celebrations of Jesus's birth, over the centuries carols have been banned by both church and state. The carols we sing seem set in stone and yet they can have up to 400 regional variations. Individual carols have caused controversy - While Shepherds Watched had to be cleaned up by the Victorians for being too crude and there's a suspicion that O Come All Ye Faithful was a call to 18th-century Jacobites to rebel.
The documentary celebrates the enduring power of the carol with a variety of performances from folk singer Bella Hardy to the choir of Truro Cathedral.
Last on
Music Played
-
Frank Sinatra
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
-
Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band
I Saw Three Ships (Original)
-
Belle and Sebastian
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Howard Goodall |
Producer | Jonathan Mayo |
Executive Producer | Jean-Claude Bragard |
Broadcasts
- Christmas Day 2008 17:00大象传媒 Two except Yorkshire
- Christmas Day 2008 18:00大象传媒 HD
- Sun 20 Dec 2009 19:00
- Mon 21 Dec 2009 19:00大象传媒 HD
- Fri 17 Dec 2010 21:30大象传媒 HD
- Sun 19 Dec 2010 20:00
- Tue 20 Dec 2011 22:30大象传媒 HD
- Christmas Eve 2012 19:30大象传媒 HD
- Tue 18 Dec 2018 20:00
- Wed 19 Dec 2018 01:00
- Fri 4 Dec 2020 19:00
- Sat 5 Dec 2020 03:00
- Tue 21 Dec 2021 23:35
- Mon 19 Dec 2022 00:50
Featured in...
Christmas TV 2020
2020's Christmas TV on the 大象传媒.
The Art of Christmas
A collection of immersive festive shows and performances, and the stories behind them.
Christmas Through the Ages
Exploring the history and traditions of the festive season.
Christmas TV 2019
Festive telly treats from 2019.
A Traditional Christmas
The real stories behind the traditions of the festive season.
Arts Unwrapped
A selection box of festive fare - from yuletide traditions to TV classics