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'Christmas carols are sung in church, therefore Christmas carols have always been sung in church. Christmas carols have these words and this tune, therefore Christmas carols have always had these words and this tune. Well, not really. Our carol tradition, like us, is a rich and dynamic mixture. An ecosystem, not a still life.'
Written with effervescent charm and professional knowledge, composer and conductor Andrew Gant reveals the fascinating musical and social history behind our favourite Christmas carols.
From the Annunciation to Epiphany, the episodes of the Christmas story link the tales and anecdotes behind twenty-seven carols from a variety of traditions and places of origin: those that come from folk song; those we owe to Victorian moralists, and those that are, in fact, French. As Andrew says, 'Some carols were born to Christmas, some have achieved Christmas, and some have had Christmas thrust upon them.'
This wonderful, rich musical treat gives us a unique insight into our Yuletide traditions and customs. A delightful gift for anyone who loves to sing, or who just loves Christmas trivia, this is the ideal companion with which to while away those lazy days between Christmas and New Year.
'Ding dong! This is my kind of Christmas present. A musical Christmas cracker - fascinating and full of interesting surprises.' Gyles Brandreth
'Enlightening and entertaining. You'll never hear or sing these carols in the same way again' Anne-Marie Minhall
'And I thought I knew about Christmas carols.' John Rutter
Delivery to the UK is FREE if you spend over £10.
See below for more information or go through the checkout process for more options.
Assuming your ordered items are in stock we will aim for your order to leave our warehouse within 1-2 working days of your order being placed.
From the product pages of an item you are able to see if we have an item in stock with one of the following messages, you can also see this at the checkout and in your confirmation email once ordered:
The time between your order being dispatched and you receiving it will depend upon the services of Royal Mail and the delivery option you select. If you select Next Working Day Delivery you will receive an email confirming the items' dispatch and that they will be received the day after (please ensure that someone is at the delivery address to receive Courier deliveries).
When you place an order you can select the type of delivery that best suits your needs.
Standard Delivery (2nd Class post) under £10 = £2.75
Standard Delivery (2nd Class post) = FREE over £10
1st Class UK Delivery - Order Value between £0.00 - £19.99 = £4.00
1st Class UK Delivery - Order Value between £20.00 - £49.99 = £6.00
1st Class UK Recorded Delivery = £7.99
Special UK Delivery: £8.99
Next Working Day Courier UK Delivery (for items in stock and ordered by 1pm) (2 Day Service for NI): £7.99
European Shipping Rate 1: £0.00 - £20.00 = £7
European Shipping Rate 2: £20.01 - £40.00 = £9
European Shipping Rate 3: £40.01 - £60.00 = £12
European Shipping Rate 4: £60.01+ = £20
Outside Europe Delivery - Order Value between £0.00 - £10.00 = £12
Outside Europe Delivery - Order Value between £10.01 - £50.00 = £20
Outside Europe Delivery - Order Value between £50.01+ = £35.00
Australia & New Zealand:
Order Value between £0.00 - £10.00 = £19
Order Value between £10.01 - £20.00 = £29
Order Value between £20.01 - £30.00 = £39
Order Value between £30.01 - £40.00 = £49
Order Value between £40.01 - £50.00 = £59
Orders over £50 not accepted online currently. Contact us for accurate postage costs.
Please note that we are still shipping to the EU and the rest of the world but due to Brexit there maybe delays and customs charges in the country of your delivery. Unfortunately this is outside of our control.
You will be sent an email informing you when your order has been dispatched. In addition to this you can follow the progress of each item you have ordered by checking your account details (login and click on ‘My Account’ on the top right of the screen).
Our warehouse and offices will be closed on national holidays. Orders placed during these times will be processed upon commencement of business.
