Everyone loves a Christmas carol - in the end, even Scrooge. They have the power to summon up a special kind of midwinter mood, like the aroma of mince pies and mulled wine and the twinkle of lights on a tree. It's a kind of magic. But how did they get that magic? In Christmas Carols Andrew Gant tells the story of some twenty carols, each accompanied by lyrics and music, unravelling a captivating - and often surprising - tale of great musicians and thinkers, saints and pagans, shepherd boys, choirboys, monks and drunks. We delve into the history of such favourites as 'Good King Wenceslas',...

Concise historical introduction to Johann Sebastian Bach and his continuing influence on the world and how we see it.

This richly illustrated insight into one of the most successful pieces of choral music of all time examines the composition manuscript and Handel's own conducting score, and places Handel's best-known work in the context of its times.