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Father Christmas

Father Christmas wakes up and embraces the day with Zoe Ball! Plus The London Youth Chamber Choir perform three festive classics live on the show.

Wake up and embrace Christmas Eve with Zoe Ball! Father Christmas takes time out from his busy day at the North Pole to speak children about their festive wishes. Plus The London Youth Chamber Choir perform Let It Snow, Somewhere In My Memory (From 成人快手 Alone) and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas accompanied by the Elton John piano.

Along with Tina Daheley on news, Richie Anderson on travel and Mike Williams on sport, she and the team have the best start to your morning. With celeb guests, quizzes, headlines, tunes chosen by listeners, and more music that you can shake a glitterball at!

There's also weather with Carol Kirkwood, a daily Pause For Thought from religion and ethics teacher Rae Duke and listeners on the line, as Zoe entertains the nation with fun for the family!

2 hours, 59 minutes

Last on

Christmas Eve 2019 06:30

Music Played

  • The Pogues

    Fairytale Of New York (feat. Kirsty MacColl)

    • (CD Single).
    • Warner Music UK.
  • The Jacksons

    I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

    • 20 Motown Christmas Classics (Variou.
    • Hitsville.
  • Pretenders

    2000 Miles

    • The Best Christmas Album In The World.
    • Virgin.
  • Greg Lake

    I Believe In Father Christmas

    • The Anthology, A Musical Journey.
    • BMG.
  • Gabriella Cilmi

    Warm This Winter

    • (CD Single).
    • Universal.
    • 1.
  • The Crystals

    Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

    • A Christmas Gift For You (Phil Spector).
    • Phil Spector Int.
    • 7.
  • Robbie Williams

    Time For Change

    • The Christmas Present: Christmas Future.
    • Farrell Music.
  • Kylie Minogue

    Santa Baby

  • Bob Dylan

    Here Comes Santa Claus

    • Christmas In The Heart.
    • Columbia.
    • 1.
  • The Beach Boys

    Little Saint Nick

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Kelly Clarkson

    Underneath The Tree

    • (CD Single).
    • RCA.
    • 001.
  • Little Mix

    One I've Been Missing

  • Bobby Helms

    Jingle Bell Rock

    • Billboard Greatest Xmas Hits.
    • Rhino.
  • Donny Hathaway

    This Christmas

    • (Single).
    • ATCO Records.
    • 5.
  • Aretha Franklin

    Winter Wonderland

    • The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (Various Artists).
    • Sony BMG.
    • 1.
  • The Muppets

    One More Sleep

  • Wham!

    Last Christmas

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Chuck Berry

    Run Rudolph Run

    • Chuck Berry - The Chess Years (Cd 2).
    • Chess.
  • Perry Como & The Fontane Sisters

    It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

    • Greatest Christmas Songs.
    • RCA.
  • Leona Lewis

    One More Sleep

    • (CD Single).
    • Syco Music.
  • Jona Lewie

    Stop The Cavalry

    • The Ivor Novello Winners.
    • EMI.
  • Bob Dylan

    Must Be Santa

    • Christmas In The Heart.
    • Columbia.
    • 1.
  • Lou Monte

    Dominick The Donkey

    • Dominick The Italian Christmas Donkey.
    • Cinquenta Musica.
    • 1.
  • Boney M.

    Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord

    • That's Christmas (Various Artists).
    • EMI.
  • Ellie Goulding

    River

    • (CD Single).
    • Polydor.
    • 1.
  • The Muppets

    It Feels Like Christmas

Pause For Thought

Pause For Thought

From Rae Duke, Religion and Ethics teacher and broadcaster.

Whilst we鈥檙e stressing over nailing that perfect roast potato and wondering whether the white sauce meets requirements for any visiting vegans, let鈥檚 spare a thought for Santa and his prod squad at HQ as they limber up for their busiest night of the year.

One of Santa鈥檚 many names, along with Father Christmas and Kris Kringle is, of course, St Nick 鈥 and I鈥檝e done some digging to learn a little more about the saint associated with this mince pie consuming, reindeer owning, present-laden gentleman we so love.

St Nicolas is not only the patron saint of children but also of merchants and brewers too 鈥 one saint ticking all the festive boxes there!

Since medieval times there鈥檚 been a special tradition to celebrate St Nick. Every December, in cathedrals all across the UK, a boy from the choir was chosen to swap places with the Bishop. For the rest of December, that kid would don a robe, miter and staff, sit on the Bishop鈥檚 throne, give talks to the congregation, appoint new vicars and even hand out the church鈥檚 money; a take-over of epic proportions.

Nowadays, it鈥檚 a one night only affair at Salisbury Cathedral and girls are up for the role too. Earlier this month, chorister Annenora Benians rocked the robe (and hopefully didn鈥檛 blow too much of the sidelined Bishop鈥檚 budget!)

In this celebration of St Nick, the low become high and the high become low. Perhaps rolling something like this out at home tomorrow could work; the experienced ceremonial turkey carver bumped down to the more junior sprout top and tail-er and vice versa.

I鈥檒l never forget the year when my Mum, with a fridge full to bursting, decided to leave the turkey outside the back door overnight. We awoke on Christmas morning to find it half eaten. Our lowly garden fox had eaten like a King whilst the rest of us filled up on bread sauce and stuffing.

A similarly surprising inversion is at the heart of the nativity scene, the birth of a tiny, fragile baby signalling聽hope and transformation for the world. As the poet Christina Rossetti wrote 鈥 鈥渓ove came down at Christmas.鈥

So as we celebrate this season of rejoicing and merrymaking, make sure you鈥檝e prepped plenty of side dishes should the unexpected happen! And keep that turkey indoors鈥

Broadcast

  • Christmas Eve 2019 06:30