Discover the stories of our favourite Christmas Carols with composer and conductor Andrew Gant accompanied by the Cathedral organ

Join us at Southwark Cathedral for this festive treat with Andrew Gant accompanied by James Gough, Assistant Organist at Southwark Cathedral who will play snippets of some of the Christmas carols Andrew will be discussing.

Andrew's talk on the history of some of our favourite carols will end with a popular carol for us to sing as we get ever closer to the seasonal wonder and glory of Christ's birth on that holy night in Bethlehem.

Mulled wine and mince pies will be available to purchase on the evening.

Deck the Hall: The Stories of our Favourite Christmas Carols

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

Andrew Gant is a notable composer, conductor, and university lecturer. He has directed many leading choirs, including those of the Guards' Chapel, Selwyn College, Cambridge, and Her (now His) Majesty's Chapel Royal based at St James's Palace in London, where he led the choir at many state events. Andrew has published several books on musical topics. He lives in Oxford, where he is also involved in local politics.

This talk is in-person only and won't be streamed or recorded. Doors will open at 6.30pm.

Andrew will be signing copies of Deck the Hall: The Story of Our Favourite Christmas Stories after the talk.

If you book a seat for this event and are then unable to attend please do cancel your registration on Eventbrite so we can release seats to those who can join us. Thank you.