There’s something wonderful about Christmas medleys. The songs are all familiar, and you can silently sing the words along with the orchestra or the chorus…but it’s also fun listening to how a medley gets put together and how the composer transitions from one song to another, sometimes having to skip whole centuries in time and musical developments.

English composer John Fox created his Carol Fantasia sometime in the 1980s for BBC Radio. Can you catch all the references? See the end for the answers!

John Fox: Carol Fantasia (RTÉ Concert Orchestra; Gavin Sutherland, cond.)

The songs are easier to tell because this is a sung medley, but the transitions and rhythmic changes are quite lively in this medley, along with some truly outrageous key shifts.

Jonathan Rathbone: Carol Medley (Martin Ford, organ; Vasari Singers; Jeremy Backhouse, cond.)

The Flying Sled

Leroy Anderson, long-time medley maker for the Boston Pops, created A Christmas Festival for the Pops’ 1950 Christmas recording. In its original version, it also included The First Nowell but Anderson reedited it in 1952 to include 7 carols and a Christmas song.

Unknown Composer: A Christmas Festival (Medley) (Philharmonic Symphony Chorus; Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra; Richard Hayman, cond.)

This medley by organist Gary Beard brings together only three songs, but sets them for trumpet and organ.

Unknown Composer: Carol Medley (arr. G. Beard for trumpet, organ and piano) (Ryan Anthony, trumpet; Gary Beard, organ; Gary Beard, piano)

The London Brass medley brings together Christmas music from outside the carol tradition, combining pop music, film music, and throwing in a bit of jazz stylings.

Leroy Anderson: Festive Cheer Medley (arr. R. Harvey for wind ensemble) (London Brass, Ensemble)

The Burning River Brass takes a rather different route, with even more popular songs (Rudolph!) combined with thoughtful arrangements of traditional carols and Christmas songs, always with a bit of swing.

Unknown Composer: Season’s Greetings: A Christmas Medley (arr. D. Sorenson for brass ensemble) (Burning River Brass, Ensemble)

It’s amazing to see the number of Christmas songs written by Johnny Marks (1909–1985). In this medley sung by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus, you’ll hear the breadth of his work, from works written for Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, and Brenda Lee.

Paul Bateman: Johnny Marks Medley (after J. Marks) (Royal Scottish National Orchestra Junior Chorus; Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Christopher Bell, cond.)

Answers:

Fox: God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen; Away In A Manger; The First Nowell; While Shepherds Watched; O Come All Ye Faithful; The Holly and The Ivy; We Three Kings; Hark! The Herald-Angels Sing.

Rathbone: Deck the Halls; I Saw Three Ships; We Wish You a Merry Christmas; The Holly and the Ivy; Away in a Manger

Leroy Anderson: Joy to the World; Deck the Halls; God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen; Good King Wenceslas; Hark the Herald Angels Sing; Silent Night; Jingle Bells; O Come, All Ye Faithful.

Beard: It Came Upon The Midnight Clear; O Little Town Of Bethlehem; Angels We Have Heard On High

London Brass: Sleigh Ride; Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas; Jingle Bells; God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen

Burning River Brass: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, O Christmas Tree / O Tannenbaum; Let it Snow; Santa Claus is Coming to Town

Bateman: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day; Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

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