Christmas Day

"Christmas Day - a Choral Fantasy on Old Carols", was written in 1910. The first performance of was given at Morley College on 28 January 1911.

Holst used a number of well-known carols in this fantasy: Throughout the piece, he makes use of "Good Christian Men Rejoice", "God rest you merry gentlemen", "The First Nowell" and a traditional Breton melody used to set the words "Come ye lofty come ye lonely".

According to contemporary reviewers, Holst's "Christmas Day" is an extremely attractive fantasia of mostly well known carols, harmonized distinctively but still pleasingly.