Joyful and triumphant: the stories of four beloved Christmas carols

At this time of year, Christmas carols float through the air and through our lives, blending sacred themes with rich melodies and connecting us to centuries of tradition. Originally sung in churches, homes and even taverns, they have become a beloved part of our Christmas celebrations.

Today, whether they’re performed by choirs or hummed under our breath as we hang fairy lights and wrap our gifts, Christmas carols continue to draw our focus back to the mystery and joy of the incarnation. So as the countdown to the Christmas feast continues, we take a moment to share the inspiring stories behind four of our most cherished carols.

‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’

Known in its original Latin as Adeste Fideles, ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’ is a timeless call to worship and adoration of the Christ child, although the exact origins of the carol are debated.

John Francis Wade (c. 1711–86), an English hymnist and musical copyist, is often credited with composing the music and original Latin lyrics, but some scholars suggest the text could have originated with Cistercian monks in the Middle Ages or St Bonaventure in the 13th century, and others have linked it to King John IV of Portugal, a known patron of sacred music.

The earliest of several existing manuscripts of the hymn—all signed and dated by Wade—come from Douai Abbey, a Benedictine community of English exiles in northern France. (The community later returned to England at the time of the French Revolution.) Wade, a Catholic, fled his native England for France at a time when Catholicism was suppressed in his homeland, and it is possible that he took refuge at the abbey as a musician. Scholars estimate that Wade composed stanzas 1–3 and 6 in Latin somewhere between 1740 and 1743, and an additional three Latin stanzas were added later in the 18th century by Abbé Etienne Jean François Borderies, a Catholic cleric who went on to become Vicar General of Paris and Bishop of Versailles.

Its ability to evoke both the majesty and humility of the Nativity continues to make it one of the most treasured carols around the world.

The Latin version of the hymn gained popularity in Catholic communities and was eventually translated into English in the mid-19th century by Frederick Oakeley, who rendered the first line as ‘O Come, All Ye Faithful’. Oakeley, a Catholic convert, was known for his ministry to the poor at Westminster Cathedral and was also a close associate of St John Henry Newman.

The carol’s melody, rich in crescendos and lyrical reverence, lends itself to grand choral performances as well as intimate gatherings. Its ability to evoke both the majesty and humility of the Nativity continues to make it one of the most treasured carols around the world.

‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’

Few carols are as triumphantly joyful as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, a hymn that has been a Christmas staple for nearly three centuries.

The hymn was penned in 1739 by Charles Wesley, a prolific and popular hymn writer and the brother of John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement. Its first line originally read, ‘Hark, how all the welkin rings.’ The archaic word welkin, meaning ‘the heavens’, was later changed to ‘herald angels’ by Wesley’s colleague George Whitefield—despite Wesley’s objections—giving the hymn a clearer connection to the Nativity story described in Luke’s Gospel​

The melody we now associate with the carol wasn’t added until more than a century later. In 1840, the German composer Felix Mendelssohn wrote a piece to commemorate the invention of the printing press, noting at the time that the almost militaristic tune would be unsuitable for a sacred context. English musician William H Cummings, however, seems to have been unaware of this when he adapted Mendelssohn’s composition in 1855, setting Wesley’s lyrics to it and creating the version we sing today.

‘The Little Drummer Boy’

A relatively modern addition to the Christmas repertoire, ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ tells the simple but profound story of a boy who, having no tangible gift for the infant Jesus, instead offers his talent—playing his drum. Written in 1941 by American composer Katherine Kennicott Davis, the song was initially called ‘Carol of the Drum’. Davis—who said the idea for the carol came to her in the middle of the night—is thought to have drawn inspiration from Czech folk music, giving the carol its iconic, rhythmic ‘pa rum pum pum pum’ refrain that mimics the sound of a drum.​

The message of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ is universal and relatable: no matter how little we have, we can offer our talents and love to God.

The carol gained widespread recognition in 1951 when it was recorded by the Trapp Family Singers—whose story was later made famous in the movie The Sound of Music. A later arrangement by musician Jack Halloran was popularised by a wide array of artists, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Seger, Boney M, Joan Jett and Justin Bieber. Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s famous duet of the song, recorded for a 1983 television special, went on to reach number 3 in the UK charts.

The message of ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ is universal and relatable: no matter how little we have, we can offer our talents and love to God, so that even the smallest acts of kindness or creativity can carry deep spiritual significance.

‘What Child Is This?’

‘What Child Is This?’ is a carol that invites reflection on the mystery of the Nativity, pairing poignant lyrics with the haunting melody of ‘Greensleeves’.

The lyrics were composed by William Chatterton Dix (1837–98), an English insurance manager who wrote hymns and sacred poetry in his spare time. Born in Bristol, he was named after the poet Thomas Chatterton, whose tragic life and creative legacy had inspired his parents. Dix lived a comfortable life as the manager of a maritime insurance company in Glasgow until his life took a dramatic turn.

The carol’s poignancy is rooted in the hard-won faith of its composer, forged in suffering and transformed by hope.

Struck down by a severe illness at the age of 29, Dix endured a deep personal and spiritual crisis during the months and years of his slow recovery. During this time, he experienced a profound renewal of his Christian faith, inspiring much of his religious writing. Along with another popular Christmas hymn, ‘As With Gladness Men of Old’, the text for ‘What Child Is This?’ was written during this period, starting out as a poem, ‘The Manger Throne’, from which three stanzas were adapted to create the carol. Set to the Elizabethan tune Greensleeves, which has long been associated with love ballads, Dix’s lyrics gave the melody a sacred purpose.

What makes ‘What Child Is This?’ particularly compelling is the way it juxtaposes the peaceful image of the infant Jesus with a foreshadowing of his suffering and redemptive mission. Lines such as ‘nails, spear shall pierce him through’ remind us of the intimate association of cradle and cross. The carol’s poignancy is rooted in the hard-won faith of its composer, forged in suffering and transformed by hope.