The stories behind the

→ For 40 years, George Michael’s Last Christmas was the bridesmaid. The nearly-but-never-quite. The most successful single never to reach number one, it was pop’s great injustice. And then the spell b

The most successful Christmas song of all time, Slade’s Merry Xmas Everybody was a much-needed pick-me-up for a nation crippled by a three-day working week

John Rutter at 80 Donald Macleod visits John Rutter at home in this celebratory series of Composer of the Week, looking back at the highs and lows of his extraordinary career. We hear about the full b

1. Which 20th-century English barrister and judge was also a well-known Buddhist? 2. Which star of Hollywood’s ‘Golden Age’ was born Ninnian Joseph Yule Jr in 1920? 3. What was notable about the Engli

From gleaming presents to inebriating parties, discover five artists’ interpretations of the festive season

Was it time for Stephen to put the sparkle back into Christmas?