The First Noel

Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols by America Media

Dec 14, 202555:20Music

Did you know that when a ewe rejects her newborn lamb, the shepherd has only hours to convince her to nurse it—or the lamb will die? This is the work of shepherds—staying awake through the night when lambs are being born...

Related Episodes

Continue listening to more episodes from Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Dec 21, 2025 - 57:33

“O Little Town of Bethlehem” has shaped how millions of English speakers imagine the Palestinian town whe...

Angels We Have Heard on High

Dec 7, 2025 - 56:05

We often imagine angels as gentle and serene. But in Scripture they arrive in blinding light and overwhel...

The Coventry Carol

Nov 30, 2025 - 64:35

Most Christmas carols celebrate the birth of Jesus. But not “The Coventry Carol,” the premiere episode of...

What Child Is This?

Dec 15, 2024 - 47:32

On the final episode of Hark! this season, prepare yourselves for a wee bit of scandal because we’re look...

Of the Father’s Love Begotten

Dec 8, 2024 - 43:34

If you’re in search of an ancient, theologically rich carol this season, look no further than “Of the Fat...

The Little Drummer Boy

Dec 2, 2024 - 52:20

On this episode of “Hark!”, we follow the beat of a modern carol that has gained worldwide fame, yet was...

We Three Kings

Nov 29, 2024 - 59:13

To kick off the fourth season of “Hark! The stories behind our favorite Christmas carols” we’re embarking...

Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming

Dec 17, 2023 - 48:44

Our final episode of Hark! this season departs from the usual nativity of Christ in a manger, surrounded...