Our much-loved Christmas carols wouldn't be the same without a grand descant floating above the melody. But what exactly is this alternative tune that we sing, and why do we sing it at Christmas time?

In 1967, the American critic John Barth declared that literary realism was exhausted. Two years later in Pricksongs and Descants, Robert Coover dispensed with the pleasantries, tackled the traditional ...

Which descant is the absolute choirboy's cassock? We've assembled a list of the ultimate Christmas carol finales, and we're pretty convinced we're right. This guaranteed barn-stormer is worth it for ...