LucyWorsleyrevealsthatthere'smuchmoretoourbest-lovedcarolsthanmeetstheeye.SherevealshowtheirstoriesadduptoaspecialkindofhistoryofChristmasitself.Intheancientpast,thewassail,apaganfertilityritual,gaveusdoor-to-doorcarolsinging.WassailingwasalsoanintegralpartofanoldermidwinterfestivalthatwasadoptedbyChristianitywhenitcametoBritain,andwasrebrandedas'Christmas'.
Religion,however,soonturneditsbackoncarols.TheywerefartoofrivolousforthePuritans,whowantedtobanChristmasaltogether.FrenchCatholicsontheotherhanddidn'tmindfunandfrolics,andLucycrossesthechanneltolearnaFrenchrenaissancejig,writtenbyadancingpriestinthe16thcentury.ThetuneshedancestowentontobecomethecarolDingDongMerrilyonHighinthe19thcentury.
InstrictProtestantBritain,thecarolsurvivedoutsidetheChurchandnewonesturnedupinsomesurprisingplaces.LucyvisitstheBritishLibrary,whereshediscoversan18th-centurychildren'sbookthatcontainsalittlememorygamecalledTheTwelveDaysofChristmas.Christmascarolscouldalsobepoliticallydangerousandsubversive.BritishCatholicswereoppressedforgenerationsaftertheReformation,butoneCatholicscribe,JohnFrancisWade,hidacodedmessageofsupportforaJacobiterebellioninthecarolOComeAllYeFaithful.
Eventually,theChurchofEnglandcouldn'tresistthepowerofthecarol,andfinallyopeneditsdoorstoallofthem,thankstoachancepairingofwordsandmusicinHarktheHeraldAngelsSing,performedintheprogrammebytherenownedgospelensemble,TheKingdomChoir.Inthe20thcentury,RalphVaughanWilliams'spassionforEnglishfolkmusictookhimtothevillagesofSurrey.Here,Lucymeetsafolksingerwhotellsthetaleofanelderlyfarmlabourer,HenryGarman,whosangatuneforVaughanWilliams,whichbecameOLittleTownofBethlehem.
Finally,inthesnowyAustrianAlps,Lucydiscoversthesimplestoryofayoungparishpriestwithapoeminsearchofatune.Whenhefoundone,theresultwasSilentNight.DuringtheFirstWorldWar,thissimplecarolwouldbecomeahymnforpeaceduringthefamousChristmastruceof1914.SilentNightalsoremindsusthatcarolsare,andhavealwaysbeen,'popularmusic',musicforthepeople,fulfillinganenduringneedtocelebrateandsingtogetheratChristmas.
