Christmas music

Here's a list of the best-ever Christmas carols for the festive season, as voted for by 50 top choral experts from across the UK and US. Do you agree with their choices?

Christmas over the years has inspired a glorious array of quirky covers from record company designers. We present our favourites…

The first - and oldest - Christmas carol was written in the fourth century, says Jeremy Pound

What did the great composers get up to at Christmas? We pore over their intimate letters to find the answers

What are the greatest songs and choral works written for the festive period?

Are these the best Christmas songs for kids? Or did we miss your favourite?

As if Christmas wasn’t bright and cheery enough without having a song and dance about it as well… Here's our rundown of the very best Christmas musicals on stage and screen.

The history of carol singing may go back as far as the medieval era, and has appeared in literature for many years, but it was during Victorian times it became really popular

Director of The Sixteen Harry Christophers names his five of the oldest Christmas carols from 1600 and before

In 1742 Handel's Messiah made its debut in Dublin to much acclaim - but why did the composer choose Ireland over London? George Pratt and Terry Blain explain

Odds are that you know this music, but what were the circumstances behind its composition? And who actually sings 'Walking in the Air' on the original film soundtrack? Here is our guide to the music of a festive classic

Jeremy Pound takes a look at one of Britten's most popular festive works, A Ceremony of Carols

Read our list of some of the best Christmas jazz albums ever released. Did your favourite make the cut?

What is the perfect Christmas music to get oneself into the festive spirit? We ask ten of our writers to name the Christmas music they couldn’t imagine Yuletide without

A round-up of the venues hosting live Christmas concerts and showcasing classical artists across the UK

Where can you see the Dutch violinist, dubbed the ‘King of Waltz’, and his Johann Strauss Orchestra during this year’s festive season?

Our round-up of the most popular German Christmas carols and songs

Our round-up of the most famous French Christmas songs

The Sixteen is one of the best choirs in the world, with nearly 100 discs under its belt. Here are our favourite Christmas recordings