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Christmas Eve with Cerys

Join Cerys for an eclectic festive selection to keep you company on Christmas Eve. This week Cerys' guest is historian Judith Flanders who explains some of our festive traditions.

Join Cerys for an eclectic festive selection to keep you company on Christmas Eve. This weekend Cerys' guest is bestselling author and acclaimed historian Judith Flanders who explains some of the origins behind our Christmas traditions. She'll share it's myths, legends and history - from the first Christmas tree in Central Europe to the origins of Santa Claus.

Cerys also welcomes a selection of her guests from the year to share their Christmas Eve activities including adventurer Mike Keen, author Caroline Taggart and chef, Maria Bradford.

And if that wasn't festive enough, Cerys plays a special recording of Bob Dylan reading 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and Dylan Thomas reading A Child's Christmas.

3 hours

Music Played

  • Stevie Wonder

    Higher Ground

    • Motown.
  • Camarón de la Isla

    Volando Voy

    • Lo Mejor De Camarón.
    • Universal Music Spain S.L..
    • 2.
  • Richard Burton

    Frost at Midnight

    • The Richard Burton Poetry Collection.
  • Mahalia Jackson & Marty Paich

    The First Noel

    • Christmas with Mahalia.
    • Columbia.
    • 3.
  • Fiddlin’ Bob Larkan & His Music Makers

    Paddy, Won't You Drink Some Good Old Cider

  • Aretha Franklin

    Baby, I Love You (Live at the Olympia Theatre, Paris, May 7, 1968)

    • ARETHA.
    • Rhino Atlantic.
    • 1.
  • Angelo Petisi & His Mandolins

    Tarentella parigina

  • Charles Bradley

    Every Day Is Christmas

    • Daptone Records Singles Collection: Volume 4.
    • Daptone Records.
    • 3.
  • Jesse Winchester

    Snow

    • Jesse Winchester.
    • Rhino.
    • 3.
  • Melba Liston, Jimmy Cleveland, Frank Rehak, Slide Hampton, Ray Bryant, George Tucker & Frank Dunlop

    Christmas Eve

    • Melba Liston and Her 'Bones.
    • Fresh Sound Records.
    • 1.
  • The Pogues

    A Pair Of Brown Eyes

  • Dylan Thomas

    A Child's Christmas in Wales

    • Dylan Thomas Reading Vol. 1.
    • Sunday Club Records.
    • 2.
  • LandesChor Hohensalzburg & Reiterer Vocalensemble

    Andachtsjodler (Live)

    • ; Das Beste vom Salzburger Advent : Salzburgs schönstes Adventsingen (Original L.
  • Dylan Thomas

    A Child's Christmas in Wales

    • Dylan Thomas Reading Vol. 1.
    • Sunday Club Records.
    • 2.
  • Orchestra, Robert Chauvigny & Édith Piaf

    La Foule

    • ɳٱð°ù²Ô±ð±ô±ô±ð.
    • Parlophone (France).
    • 11.
  • Dylan Thomas

    A Child's Christmas in Wales

    • Dylan Thomas Reading Vol. 1.
    • Sunday Club Records.
    • 2.
  • Vince Guaraldi Trio

    O Tannenbaum

    • A Charlie Brown Christmas [2012 Remastered & Expanded Edition].
    • Craft Recordings.
    • 1.
  • Phil Manzanera & Andy Mackay

    Good King Wenceslas (feat. The Players)

    • Christmas - Mackay & Manzanera.
    • BFD.
    • 3.
  • Dylan Thomas

    A Child's Christmas in Wales

    • Dylan Thomas Reading Vol. 1.
    • Sunday Club Records.
    • 2.
  • Gjermund Larsen Trio

    ²Ñ´Ç°ù²µ±ð²Ô²õ±ôÃ¥³Ù³Ù (feat. Gjermund Larsen, Andreas Utnem & Sondre Meisfjord)

    • Tøyen Sessions.
    • Heilo.
    • 1.
  • Peter Dawson

    Drake's Drum

    • Centenary Celebrations.
    • Parlophone UK.
    • 16.
  • Man the Lifeboats

    Whisky For Christmas

  • Asha Bhosle

    Karle Pyar Karle

    • The Train / Sachaa Jhutha.
    • Universal.
  • Django Reinhardt

    Christmas Swing

    • 100 Classic Masters.
    • Stardust Records.
    • 88.
  • Rachid Taha

    Minouche

    • Believe International.
  • Anna King

    Mama's Got a Bag of Her Own End

    • Mama's Got A Bag Of Her Own.
    • Parlophone UK.
    • 7.
  • The Count Basie Orchestra

    Let It Snow (feat. Ellis Marsalis)

    • A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas!.
    • Concord Records.
    • 2.
  • The Maytones & Trevor

    Everyday Is Like a Holiday

    • Dub Store Records.
  • Guillermo Portabales

    Cumbiamba

    • El Carretero.
    • World Circuit.
    • 2.
  • The Band

    Christmas Must Be Tonight

    • To Kingdom Come (The Definitive Collection).
    • Capitol Records.
    • 12.
  • Makgona Tsohle Band

    Soweto Bump

    • Mathaka, Vol. 2.
  • Mikis Theodorakis

    Cretan Dance: Theme from Zorba the Greek

    • Zorba the Greek (Remastered).
    • FM Records.
    • 7.
  • Nilla Pizzi

    Buon Natale

    • Sotto l'albero di Natale.
  • Liz Berry, Cerys Matthews & Hidden Orchestra

    Christmas Eve

    • Christmas Eve.
    • Decca (UMO) (Classics).
    • 1.
  • Steamhammer

    Junior's Wailing - 21st Century Version

    • Wailing Again.
    • MIG.
  • The Horus All Stars

    Cristo Redentor

  • Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters

    White Christmas

    • The Best of Clyde Mcphatter and the Drifters.
    • Black Sheep Music.
    • 12.
  • Robin Williams

    I'm Popeye The Sailor Man

    • Popeye (Music From The Motion Picture / The Deluxe Edition).
    • Varese Sarabande.
    • 19.
  • Romica Puceanu

    La Cârciuma De La Drum

  • Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists & Sir John Eliot Gardiner

    Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248 / Part One - For The First Day Of Christmas

    • Bach, J.S.: Christmas Oratorio; St. Matthew Passion; St. John Passion; Mass in B.
    • Archiv Produktion.
    • 1.
  • Smokey Robinson & The Miracles

    Go Tell It On The Mountain

    • The Season For Miracles.
    • UNI/MOTOWN.
    • 8.
  • Tania

    Parranda De Navidad

    • 15 Grandes Éxitos De Tania.
    • Musart-Balboa.
    • 14.
  • Carter Brothers

    Roast Possum

    • The Essential.
    • Fuel 2000.
    • 20.
  • Guillaume Nouaux & Luca Filastro

    Handful Of Keys

  • Barclay James Harvest

    Good Love Child

    • Barclay James Harvest.
    • Cherry Red Records.
    • 5.
  • Luis Miguel

    México En La Piel

    • Mexico en la Piel (edicion diamante).
    • WEA Latina.
    • 4.
  • Bee Gees

    Stayin' Alive

    • Bee Gees - Their Greatest Hits.
    • Polydor.
  • Billie Holiday & The Count Basie Orchestra

    Swing, Brother, Swing (Live)

    • Lady Day: The Complete Billie Holiday On Columbia - Vol. 8.
    • Columbia/Legacy.
    • 4.
  • Grupo Revelação

    Tá Escrito

    • Ao Vivo No Morro.
    • Deckdisc.
    • 3.
  • Augie Rios

    ¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?

    • ¿Dónde Está Santa Claus?.
    • Polydor.
    • 1.
  • Joseph Spence

    Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town

    • Living On The Hallelujah Side.
    • Rounder.
    • 6.

Broadcast

  • Christmas Eve 2023 10:00