Carols
Do you know Greensleeves, Joy to the World, or Hark the Herald Angels Sing?
If you grew up in Europe or North America, you probably do, and you probably know quite a few others, too. All those carols that we know and love have been around a long time - some for hundreds of years - and they have quite a history. While some carols have remained mostly unchanged, others have evolved over the years, changing tunes and lyrics.
Some of the more lively highlights from Carols, including some vocal improv about Amelia Earhart and the sounds of the rhinoceros.
We bet you've never experienced Carols the way that we perform them. Curated by traverso player and long-time BBE ensemble member Leighann Daihl Ragusa, we explore the history of carols - those you know, and those you don't - and invite you to sing (and laugh) with us through some of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time.
Carol Blogs
LEIGHANN DAIHL RAGUSA
CONTRIBUTING BLOGGER
Leighann plays traverso, modern flute, is a core member of the BBE, and curator of the Carols program and blogs. She has concertized in Europe and the United States as a soloist and as a collaborator of chamber and orchestral music. She is frequently heard on Chicago’s Classical Radio Station WFMT 98.7. She earned degrees in modern flute from DePauw University and Indiana University, and degrees in historical flutes from The Royal Conservatory of the Hague and Indiana University.
Website: leighanndaihl.com
Camillo
Camillo Bio
The official Carols mascot
Camillo the Christmas Camel is the official mascot of the Carols program. If you come to a Carols performance, you can meet him - and get a selfie with him!
Can a Christmas carol be controversial? The creator of "Hark how all the Welkin rings" certainly wasn't too happy when a revised version became of his text came out. Find out more about all the poetic shade that was thrown with Leighann Daihl Ragusa, curator of the BBE's 2017 Carols program.