A Christmas carol is a carol (a song or hymn) on the theme of Christmas, traditionally sung at Christmas itself or during the surrounding Christmas holiday season. The term noel has sometimes been used, especially for carols of French origin.
This book is a history of Christmas songs up to the year 2017. It includes both popular traditional Christmas carols and modern pop recordings. It was written because no other work of its kind exists, at least not in detail or depth. The study of the songs is done according to the motivations of the composers, their patronage, as well as the historical context. It takes into account the influence on the songs of pre-Christian and pagan ideas, religion and religious controversies, the development of secular thought, technology, and the emergence of best-selling charts.
By Salvador Frederic