Doxology Prelude

While the term "doxology" can mean any hymn of praise, it colloquially refers to "The Common Doxology," the four-line hymn beginning "Praise God from whom all blessings flow." The lyrics were written in 1674 by Thomas Ken as the final verse to two hymns, but the lyrics have since become more commonly associated with the hymn tune "Old Hundredth", a tune dating back to the early days of the Protestant Reformation and thought to be composed by Louis Bourgeois. Hymns from this period were intentionally written to be sung communally and harmonized, in contrast to the Roman Catholic practice of chanting - a feature which is reflected in this complex arrangement by Hans Van Der Weide.

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O Holy Night

"O Holy Night" was written in 1847 by French poet Placide Cappeau to commemorate the renovation of a church in Roquemaure, France and set to music by operettist Adolphe Adam. Within years of its creation the song had gained widespread popularity throughout France, despite opposition from church leaders (Cappeau was an avowed socialist and abolitionist and Adam was thought to be atheist). Today, "O Holy Night" has become one of the most recorded hymns of all time and is regularly ranked as the most popular Christmas song.

Bereden väg för Herran

"Bereden väg för Herran" ("Prepare the Way of the Lord") is a Christian hymn with lyrics written in 1812 by Swedish poet Frans Michael Franzen. It has since become a popular Advent hymn among Lutherans and other Scandinavian traditions. This arrangement, written by TCBB member Kelby Stine, evokes the slow, steady march of a church processional and the words of Isaiah 40:3, upon which the lyrics were based: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way for the LORD, make straight a highway for our God."

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The Nutcracker Suite

 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write The Nutcracker in  1890 following the success of The Sleeping Beauty. The ballet's plot loosely follows a short by Alexandre Dumas called "The Story of a Nutcracker," in which a young girl's nutcracker doll comes to life, defeats the Rat King, and carries her away to a magical world filled with dolls. Although the ballet was largely panned at its premiere in 1892, it has gone on to become one of the most popular ballets of all time and is one of Tchaikovsky's most well-known and beloved works.

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Carol of the Bells

"Carol of the Bells" is based on a Ukrainian New Year's song called "Shchedryk," which used a traditional Ukrainian melody and told the story of a swallow announcing the arrival of a bountiful new year. The song was popularized by the Ukrainian Republic Capella, who toured extensively throughout the 1920s with the goal of promoting Ukrainian music throughout the world. The English lyrics ("Hark! How the bells") were written in 1936 by Ukrainian-American composer Peter Wilhousky and have nothing to do with the original lyrics - the iconic four-note ostinato melody simply reminded Wilhousky of the sound of ringing bells.

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Angel of the North

Richard Grantham is a contemporary brass band composer and arranger based in East Yorkshire, England. Grantham's inspiration for "Angel of the North" was a statue of the same name, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. While the statue's creator, Antony Gormley, has offered several interpretations of the work, it is interesting to note that the sculpture stands atop a former coal mine, thus giving it a shared history with British brass bands.

Faithfulness

"Great is Thy Faithfulness" was written in 1923 by American hymnwriter Thomas Chisholm. The lyrics, based on Lamentations 3:22-23, reflect the writers gratitude for God's unchanging love and mercy throughout his lifetime. The hymn quickly gained popularity thanks to its use by the Moody Bible Institute and Billy Graham, and today can be found in over 150 hymnals in the U.S. 

Frosty the Snowman

"Frosty the Snowman" was written in 1950 as a spiritual successor to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." The song was originally recorded by Gene Autry but was covered by multiple artists in the following years. Like its predecessor "Rudolph," "Frosty" was adapted into a Rankin/Bass animated television special, which fleshed out the story of the magical snowman and spawned several sequels. 

Sleigh Ride

The idea for Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" was born of a heat wave in July 1946. The piece was first performed in 1948 by the Boston Pops Orchestra and, thanks to a recording in 1949, quickly became one of their best-known works, Like most of Anderson's works, Sleigh Ride was originally an orchestral piece - it's lyrics were written by Mitchell Parish in 1950, and the piece did not gain widespread usage as a Christmas carol until The Ronettes recorded a cover for a 1963 Christmas album.