Lyrics

Holly and the Ivy.

What are the lyrics to ‘The Holly and Ivy’, and what is it about?

Christmas

What are the lyrics to ‘O Come O Come Emmanuel’?

What are the lyrics to ‘O Come, O Come, Emmanuel’, and what is the Christmas carol really about?

Christmas

Choristers from Salisbury Cathedral Choir have their final practice ahead of Christmas Eve

20 famous Christmas carol lyrics

Christmas

O Little Town of Bethlehem

What are the lyrics to ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ – and why are there two versions?

Christmas

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree

What are the lyrics to ‘Jesus Christ the Apple Tree’, and who composed the carol?

Christmas

Silent Night lyrics

What are the lyrics to ‘Silent Night’, and what’s the story of the Christmas carol?

Christmas

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge performs at A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

What are the lyrics to ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’, and who wrote the popular carol?

Christmas

What are the lyrics to Morocco’s national anthem, the Cherifian Anthem, and who wrote it?

What are the lyrics to Morocco’s national anthem, the Cherifian Anthem, and who wrote it?

Colombia's players sing the national anthem at the Women's World Cup in Australia, 2023

What are the lyrics to Colombia’s national anthem and when was it written?

What are the lyrics to ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’, and what is its history?

What are the lyrics to ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’, and what is its history?

Players and staff of Slovenia celebrate after the team's victory in the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between Slovenia and Kazakhstan on November 20, 2023 in Slovenia.

What are the lyrics to Slovenia’s national anthem?

Players of Albania celebrate after the UEFA EURO 2024 European qualifier match between Albania and Czechia on October 12, 2023 in Tirana, Albania.

What are the lyrics to Albania’s national anthem?

Mario Gavranovic of Switzerland celebrates after scoring their side’s third goal during the UEFA Euro 2020 Championship Round between France and Switzerland in 2021.

What are the lyrics to Switzerland’s national anthem, the ‘Swiss Psalm’?

George Frideric Handel composed ‘Zadok The Priest’ in 1727

What are the lyrics to Handel’s ‘Zadok The Priest’?

Handel

The Champions League Trophy and the Choir of Westminster Abbey

What is the Champions League music and what are the lyrics to the football anthem?

Beethoven's great choral anthem is based on a poem by Friedrich Schiller

What are the lyrics to ‘Ode to Joy’ from Beethoven’s Symphony No.9?

Beethoven

Andrea Bocelli and Céline Dion sing 'The Prayer' at the 1999 Grammy Awards

What are the lyrics to ‘The Prayer’ sung by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion?

London Concert Orchestra performs ‘Rule, Britannia!’ at a Christmas-New Year concert at Birmingham Symphony Hall

What are the lyrics to ‘Rule Britannia’ and who composed it?

Choir of King's College Cambridge rehearse for the Christmas Eve service broadcast around the world

In Dulci Jubilo: what are the lyrics to the Christmas carol?

From Mary Had a Little Lamb to Humpty Dumpty - the best nursery rhymes

10 best nursery rhymes ever written

Once in Royal David's City

What are the lyrics to ‘Once in Royal David’s City’ – and who composed it?

Christmas

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge regularly perform the carol at their Christmas service

What are the lyrics to ‘O Holy Night’, in French and English?

Christmas

Mary had a little lamb

What are the lyrics to ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’, the popular nursery rhyme?

What are the lyrics to Brahms’ ‘Cradle Song’, the most famous lullaby ever written?

What are the lyrics to Brahms’ famous ‘Lullaby’, and what’s the story behind it?

Brahms

'Frère Jacques' is a popular French nursery rhyme

What are the lyrics to French nursery rhyme ‘Frère Jacques’, and who was he?

Argentinian team sing their national anthem at a rugby test match in Chaco, Argentina

What are the Argentina national anthem lyrics, and why is there a shorter version?

A depiction of Jesus holding a lamb

What are the lyrics to ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ and who wrote the hymn?

India players stand to sing the national anthem at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium in Sri Lanka

What are the lyrics to India’s national anthem?

Juan Manuel Cat, Santiago Civetta, Manuel Leindekar, Santiago Arata and Gaston Mieres of Uruguay sing the national anthem prior to the Rugby World Cup 2019

What are the lyrics to Uruguay’s national anthem?

Alicia Keys performs Lift Every Voice and Sing

What are the lyrics to ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’, and what is the song’s history?

Bangladesh cricket players line up to sing the National Anthem ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup

What are the lyrics to Bangladesh’s national anthem?

‘Auld Lang Syne’ was written by Scottish poet Robert Burns, and is usually sung to fireworks on New Year’s Eve

What are the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne, and what does Auld Lang Syne actually mean?

St Paul’s Cathedral Choir sing ‘Jerusalem’

What are the lyrics to the hymn ‘Jerusalem’ and who composed it?

Parry

Portrait of Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

What are the lyrics to ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and what do they mean?

Elgar

Australia players sing their national anthem at The Cup of Nations (2019)

What are the lyrics to Australia’s national anthem, ‘Advance Australia Fair’?

Pavarotti sings the powerful Turandot aria, ‘Nessun Dorma’

What are the lyrics to Puccini’s ‘Nessun dorma’ and what do they mean?

Puccini

Who wrote Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and what are the full lyrics of the popular lullaby?

Who wrote Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and what are the full lyrics of the popular lullaby?

Discover music

See more Discover music

A Classic FM exclusive of Aled Jones and Malakai Bayoh singing ‘O Holy Night’ went viral in Christmas 2022

‘O Holy Night’ voted the nation‘s favourite Christmas carol for ninth consecutive year

1 day ago

On Christmas Eve 1914, WWI paused when troops sang carols across enemy limes

On Christmas Eve 1914, WWI paused when troops sang carols across enemy limes

2 days ago

Princess of Wales attends the ‘Together At Christmas’ carol service at Westminster Abbey

What music is being performed at the Princess of Wales’ carol service?

3 days ago

The three films of the Christmas season. Well, three films.

The 10 best Christmas film scores

8 days ago

Two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree...

Which are ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’ and what are the lyrics to the Christmas carol?

9 days ago

Christmas

Sheku and Isata Kanneh-Mason forced to cancel sold-out concert after Air Canada deny boarding with cello

Kanneh-Mason duo forced to cancel sold-out concert after Air Canada deny boarding with cello

10 days ago

Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Best classical music

See more Best classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

Best symphonies: Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvorak and Florence Price

The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

4 eras of classical music

The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

A young Marin Alsop, Sir Simon Rattle, and Seiji Ozawa conduct their respective orchestras.

The 25 greatest conductors of all time

Hildegard von Bingen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edward Elgar among the greatest composers in classical music history.

The 30 greatest classical music composers of all time

Classic FM Live Playlists

See more Classic FM Live Playlists

Classic FM Christmas

Classic FM Hall of Fame

Essential Classical

Classic FM Video Game Music

Classic FM Pet Classics

Classic FM’s Baby Bedtime

Browse by

See more Browse by

Periods & genres

Occasions

Moods

Instruments

Mood

See more Mood

Studying

Relaxing

Happy

Epic

Romantic

Baby

Occasions

See more Occasions

Wedding

Memorial

Valentine’s Day

Christmas

Latest on Classic FM

Ask Alexa to send a musical request to the Classic FM studio

Connect Alexa to your Global Player app to unlock its full potential

For the first time in 900 years, girls join choristers as they take part in a photocall at St Paul's Cathedral

Girls will be part of St. Paul’s Cathedral choir on Christmas Day for first time in 900 years
Yo-Yo Ma

Yo-Yo Ma performs Bach’s beautiful prelude in newly renovated Notre Dame cathedral

Yo-Yo Ma

Lang Lang in Notre Dame reopening concert.

Lang Lang plays stunning Saint-Saëns in newly-reopened Notre Dame

Moana soundtrack

Moana 2 soundtrack: what are the songs and who are songwriters Barlow and Bear?

Guest conductor, Tim Schultheis, truly came to sleigh at this orchestral concert...

Audience member conducts ‘Sleigh Ride’, stealing the show in joyful moment

Videos

Gladiator II composer Harry Gregson-Williams on the ‘pretty rude sound’ that made it into the score

Gladiator II composer Harry Gregson-Williams on the ‘pretty rude sound’ that made it into the score

Gregson-Williams

Jacqueline du Pre, who brought the Concerto to prominence in her breakthrough recording with John Barbirolli and the LSO in 1965.

What’s the history of Elgar’s Cello Concerto – the work with a disastrous premiere?

Elgar

Angelina Jolie plays the title role in this thrilling biopic.

Maria Callas biopic starring Angelina Jolie: cast, plot, music and trailers revealed

Maria Callas

The Royal Albert Hall with Christmas Tree, Illuminated at night.

15 best classical Christmas concerts across the UK in 2024

Christmas