Description:
The Penguin Book of Carols, edited by Ian Bradley, is a collection of 100 carols, dating back as early as the 1400s. Bradley, a lecturer in practical theology at St. Andrews University in Scotland, begins the book with a short survey of the history of the carol, tracing its origins to folk dances and pagan celebrations. He describes the pivotal role played by St. Francis in "Christianizing the carol," the carol's fall from grace during the Puritan Reformation (when Oliver Cromwell tried to outlaw their singing), and the recovery of carol-singing as a central aspect of Christmas celebrations by the strenuously sentimental Victorians. The bulk of the book, however, consists of short introductions to and full transcriptions of song lyrics for carols ranging from the old and forgotten (the 15th century "Boar's Head Carol," which extols the pleasures of eating and drinking, with a cameo appearance by Christ) to the new but obscure (the 20th century "Cowboy Carol," whose refrain of "yoi-yippee!" is mighty catchy). All of the standards are here, too, and Bradley's brief accounts of the evolution of popular tunes, such as "Joy to the World" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain," will add some depth to the exuberant experience of belting them out. The one regrettable shortcoming of this book is that its lyrics are not accompanied by musical manuscripts, which could have helped readers to appreciate better some of the book's more obscure carols. Despite this weakness, The Penguin Book of Carols steadfastly reminds readers of the very most important thing about singing Christmas carols: they're fun. --Michael Joseph Gross
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