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Artwork for Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols

Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols

America Media
Go Tell It On the Mountain
Christmas
Christmas Carols
Civil Rights Movement
Negro Spirituals
African American History
The Little Drummer Boy
Fannie Lou Hamer
Martin Luther King Jr.
Oral Tradition
African American Studies
Of the Father's Love Begotten
Greensleeves
What Child Is This
We Three Kings
Magi
Military Drummer Boys
Katherine Kennicott Davis
American Civil War
Arianism

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The cookies, the mistletoe, the lights...oh, and the music! For Christians, Christmas carols mark a season of hope and the celebration of Jesus’ birth. Even in popular culture, these iconic jingles capture a warmth, a cheer and a nostalgia that transcends religious belonging. But where do these beloved yuletide songs come from? What inspired the people who... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes20Founded3 years ago
Categories
MusicMusic CommentaryMusic History

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Artwork for Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols

Latest Episodes

On the final episode of Hark! this season, prepare yourselves for a wee bit of scandal because we’re looking at a tune that began as a bawdy love song and has long been associated with an evil monarch, but which, over the course of three centuries, f... more

If you’re in search of an ancient, theologically rich carol this season, look no further than “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” Long before it became a Christmas carol in the 19th century, this hymn was first penned as a poem in the 4th century by Aur... more

On this episode of “Hark!”, we follow the beat of a modern carol that has gained worldwide fame, yet was composed almost while napping. It is a tale about a figure the Bible never mentions, but whose bold gift leads us straight to the heart of Christ... more

To kick off the fourth season of “Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols” we’re embarking on an adventure to learn about an American-born carol that features some classic nativity characters—figures that, though very familiar to us, w... more

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Recent Guests

Susan Reynolds
Assistant Professor of Catholic Studies at Candler School of Theology and parishioner at St. Thomas More in Decatur, Georgia.
Emory University
Episode: What Child Is This?
Richard Jeffrey-Gray
Director of Music for the Diocese of Clifton in Bristol, England.
Diocese of Clifton
Episode: What Child Is This?
Milton Mermikides
The 37th Gresham Professor of Music based at Gresham College, London.
Gresham College
Episode: What Child Is This?
Brian Flanagan
A theologian working at Georgetown University and involved in church history.
Georgetown University
Episode: Of the Father’s Love Begotten
Katherine Kennicott Davis
The original composer of The Little Drummer Boy
Wellesley College
Episode: The Little Drummer Boy
Lisa Graham
Evelyn Berry Director of Choral Music at Wellesley College
Wellesley College
Episode: The Little Drummer Boy
Christian McWhirter
Lincoln Historian and author of "Battle Hymns"
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum
Episode: The Little Drummer Boy
Chris Walker
Director of Music for Clifton Cathedral and children's song author
Episode: The Little Drummer Boy
Eric Vanden Eykel
Associate professor of religious studies at Ferrum College
Ferrum College
Episode: We Three Kings

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 284 ratings
  • Review of Hark

    My spirit caught FIRE after listening to 2024 series & then I downloaded all seasons!!! This was a special Christmas gift!!! I have shared it with my choir director, Lupe RIOS, at The IMMACULATA at UNIVERSITY of San Diego!! Thank you for these special moments learning about each carol!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    The Brickyard House
    United States4 months ago
  • WONDERful!

    Love this series! Thank you all!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    littlegale
    United States5 months ago
  • Sets the Tone

    Just love this seasonal Podcast. Lifts the spirits and prepares the heart to enter into the Advent and Christmas seasons beautifully. Keep making this series!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Inspiring Podcast!
    United States5 months ago
  • Love it

    Really set the Christmas spirit for me😊

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BFH from Carmel
    United States5 months ago
  • Thank you

    Prayerful and peaceful

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hubert23
    United States5 months ago

Chart Rankings

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Little Drummer Boy
Q: What do we know about the origins of this carol for Katherine?
Katherine Davis composed The Little Drummer Boy while trying to take a nap when the melody came to her.
The Little Drummer Boy
Q: Garrin, what would you say that The Little Drummer Boy is about?
The drummer boy doesn’t have a gift like the three kings do, but his gift is music that he brings to Jesus.
What Child Is This?
Q: How does the composer interweave themes of suffering and hope?
By pairing the nativity scene with the acknowledgment of Christ's future sacrifice, the song highlights the complexity of joy and suffering in the Christian narrative.
What Child Is This?
Q: What does the song's rhetorical question reflect?
It invites reflection on the Christmas story and encourages listeners to think deeply about its significance and implications.

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1. Jesuitical
2. Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast
3. Inside The Vatican
4. Travel with Rick Steves
5. The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

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this podcast launched 3 years ago and published 20 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Susan Reynolds
2. Richard Jeffrey-Gray
3. Milton Mermikides
4. Brian Flanagan
5. Katherine Kennicott Davis
6. Lisa Graham
7. Christian McWhirter
8. Chris Walker

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