Get in the Christmas spirit with this unique collection of the most beloved Christmas carols, from the warmly nostalgic to the majestically solemn and uplifting. The book features one carol for each day from December first to Christmas Eve, and presents both the lyrics and the fascinating stories and interesting facts behind the creation of the songs. Each entry deepens our understanding of the music and enhances our appreciation of why these songs are culturally important and dearly treasured.

From popular, familiar carols to lesser known but cherished hymns, author Michael D. Young combines his musical expertise with information specific to each song.

“O Little Town of Bethlehem” was written by an American preacher, Philip Brooks, after traveling to Bethlehem in 1868 to find peace after the horrors of the Civil War and assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. Brooks’s original poem, with one largely unknown final verse, is included along with the lyrics of the beloved carol.

“In the Bleak Midwinter” was voted the best Christmas carol by a BBC survey of experts, but the song was actually created from a poem by Christina Rosetti and did not become a carol until decades after her death when it was paired with music by Gustav Holst. Today, Rosetti is considered one of the most important poets of the nineteenth century, and the carol she unintentionally penned is one of the most haunting and beloved of all time.

An Advent Carols Countdown is a beautiful gift book for the whole family to enjoy along with the music of the holidays. Each entry also features a QR code that will link to an audio or video performance of the carol performed by the choir most associated with Christmas, the world-renowned Tabernacle Choir.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
December 1: The Holly and the Ivy
December 2: O Little Town of Bethlehem
December 3: Angels We Have Heard on High
December 4: Carol of the Bells
December 5: Good King Wenceslas
December 6: Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains
December 7: O Holy Night
December 8: Ding Dong! Merrily on High
December 9: God Bless the Master
December 10: In Dulci Jubilo
December 11: Joy to the World
December 12: O Come All Ye Faithful
December 13: Mitt Hjerte Alltid Vanker (Norwegian carol)
December 14: Of the Father’s Love Begotten
December 15: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
December 16: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
December 17: Away in a Manger
December 18: Angels from the Realms of Glory
December 19: Masters in This Hall
December 20: O du Fröhliche (German carol)
December 21: In the Bleak Midwinter
December 22: The First Noel
December 23: Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
December 24: Stille Nacht/Silent Night