Deck the Hall by Andrew Gant  

A rich resource tracing the development of 27 Christmas carols, hymns and songs

Deck the Hall - The Stories of our Favourite Christmas Carol
By Andrew Gant
Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN No: 978 1 399 89749 4
Reviewed by Moira Kleissner

 
Christmas is almost upon us. Almost…

There have been many books about Christmas carols and hymns; some suspect historicity and some so technical that unless one is a professional musician they are difficult to understand. This is Andrew Gant’s second book about Christmas carols. His first Christmas Carols from Village Green to Church Choir was published in 2014 and is a very readable, enjoyable book complete with CD.
 
This volume covers different carols/songs/hymns but sadly has no CD, although Andrew Gant’s simple arrangements of the music examined in the text are included in the book. He is a well-respected musician with an extensive knowledge as a professional singer, composer, conductor, lecturer in music at St Peter’s College, Oxford, and director of the Chapel Royal, thus involved in many State events. Who better to lead us through this engaging volume?
 
With erudition and humour, he works his way through the Christmas season starting with the Annunciation and finishing with Christmas Partying. There are 27 carols/hymns/songs included in this volume. Tracing the sources of the carols, myths, history and how the music and lyrics developed and changed makes interesting reading.
 
This rich resource will make a brilliant gift for anyone musical or just interested in where our carols and hymns came from, and their journey to get to us. Tunes that started in the countryside with words about a dead cow, through to songs originating in pubs, American folk song, a song sung in spring to a lover and also Christmas hymns, make this feast full of interest.

As someone who has been fascinated by the development of Christmas carols and hymns for many years, I have learned new information, eliciting comments of “I never knew that!” Or laughing at the author’s quips and humour. To the annoyance of my husband...
 
As Andrew Gant says, “Tracing the history of our carol tradition is like trying to sweep up all the stray pine needles when you’ve taken down Christmas tree: there’s always a corner you find you haven’t reached.”

But finding those stray “needles” can be fun, enlightening and musically interesting, under his expert guidance. This book will make an ideal gift that can enlighten and engage, even after a heavy Christmas dinner – and stop you from snoring!

Moira Kleissner is a retired Primary Deputy Head, storyteller, trainer and minister’s wife