Can New Christmas Carols Join the Holiday Classics Club?

Every Christmas, choirs and communities across the country gather to sing carols that have been loved for generations. At King's College in Cambridge, young choristers rehearse in the grand chapel, dressed in their choir robes and surrounded by the soft glow of candles. These traditional carols are a big part of the holiday season, and many people look forward to hearing the same songs every year. But as reporter Seb Cheer discovered, there are musicians who believe that new Christmas songs can also become classics if given the chance.

Don and Jo Pears, a couple from York, are passionate about writing new carols. Over the past 15 years, they have composed around 50 Christmas songs together. Don, who is 77, started creating his own carols because buying sheet music for his community choirs was too expensive. He grew up surrounded by church music and later studied music in Huddersfield and at London's Guildhall. Jo, who is 57, has been singing since she was a child, but she chose not to pursue a professional music career. Instead, she participated in amateur operatic performances while attending secretarial college. This year, Don and Jo released an album with 23 of their carols to raise money for the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York. They brought together 40 singers from Don's choirs and friends from the theater world, along with 50 musicians from the York Guildhall Orchestra. The recording took place in July, well before the holiday season, to ensure the album would be ready for Christmas. Jo says their goal was to create music that would make people feel joyful and warm inside.

What makes a carol memorable and enjoyable? Don believes that simple melodies and traditional harmonies are key. He says you do not need to be a trained singer to join in with their carols. Composer and choral conductor Jonathan Willcocks agrees, saying that a good carol needs a strong, catchy tune. Most choirs are made up of amateur singers who enjoy singing together, and audiences love listening to familiar melodies. Jonathan grew up in a musical family, with his father David Willcocks being a well-known choir director. He describes Don and Jo's carols as marvelous and believes it is important to keep creating new carols to keep the tradition alive and evolving. David Willcocks wrote new harmonies and descant lines for traditional carols, and his book 'Carols for Choirs' has become a staple for many choirs. People are very attached to classic carols like 'O Come All Ye Faithful' and 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing' because they are beautifully written and bring back fond memories.

Dr. Ronny Krippner, the director of music at Ripon Cathedral, says that people are very protective of their favorite carols. He mentions a 'golden trio' of carols that are almost always included in services: 'O Come All Ye Faithful,' 'Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,' and 'Once in Royal David's City. ' He believes a carol becomes a classic when people want to hear it over and over again. This year, Ripon Cathedral is including a jazz version of 'Ding Dong Merrily on High' and the 1982 choral anthem 'The Lamb' by John Tavener in their program. Dr. Krippner points out that there is a difference between carols sung by choirs and those that the whole audience joins in with. He says that nostalgia and a sense of community help keep the most popular carols alive. For many people, singing carols is one of the few times they come together to sing as a group, and that is a special part of the Christmas season.