Joy Story

Millions of people know the tune, if not the words, of at least one traditional Christmas carol. But how many are totally aware of what they’re singing about? What does “I saw Three Ships” really refer to? Who was “Good King Wenceslas?” In fact, many of these carols are embedded with all sorts of references to archaic words and ancient customs. Today, host John Schaefer parse them with British journalist Andrew Stewart, who recently wrote about this in the BBC Music Magazine. Also: a visit with the soprano Heidi Grant Murphy. She’s been a regular presence in New York ever since she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in the late 80s, and recently she has applied her shimmering voice to an album of Christmas favorites.
Additional Resources:
» Heidi Grant Murphy’s Web site