The 12 Days of Christmas

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" is an English Christmas carol and nursery rhyme. A classic example of a cumulative song, the lyrics detail a series of increasingly numerous gifts given to the speaker by their "true love" on each of the twelve days of Christmas (the twelve days that make up the Christmas season, starting with Christmas Day). The carol, whose words were first published in England in the late eighteenth century. Many different melodies have been associated with the song, of which the best known is derived from a 1909 arrangement of a traditional folk melody by English composer Frederic Austin. This arrangement features the bassoon or bass clarinet, with each instrument taking a solo role throughout the piece. It is a lighthearted selection for holiday concerts, giving players room for creativity as each instrument is introduced to represent a specific day of the season.