Christmas Stories To Be Shared By The Fire: Carol of the Drum (aka The Little Drummer Boy) by Katherine Kennicott Davis  

When I was growing up as a child on Cape Breton Island one of the things that helped define the holiday season was singing. We sang in school. We sang in church. We sang along with music played on TV, the radio or on our record player at home. Most of the time we knew all of the words and happily belted them out. However there were some songs that required the use of a seasonal songbook. Most of the time, these songbooks would be printed by the publishers of our local newspaper and would be included for free in our newspaper at some point during the holidays. Because we sang these same twenty or thirty songs over and over again, year after year, this musical collection came to be what we referred to as Christmas carols. 

The thing about that though is not all of the songs we sang during the holidays are actually considered to be carols. For a Christmas song to be referred to as a carol, it needs to reference the Nativity and/or the birth of the Baby Jesus. Music that is written about Rudolph or Santa or snowmen or snow falling are secular in nature and, therefore, are simply categorized as Christmas songs. Even as a child, I knew that there was a difference between songs that I called “church songs about Christmas” and those that we sang about modern Christmas traditions, including Santa Claus coming to town. But regardless of which side of the religious/non-religious fence those songs fell, I believed in my heart that they were all very old. This was especially so for the songs written about the story of the Nativity. 

While it is true that songs such as “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “The First Noel”, “Away In a Manger” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” are all considered carols because they sing about some aspect of the story of the Nativity and, as well, that these carols are all very old (being published somewhere between the 1600-1800s), not all songs about the birth of the Baby Jesus follow suit. One of the prime examples is the “Carol of the Drum”, more popularly known as “The Little Drummer Boy”. This is a song that was first published during WWII in 1941. It was written by a composer and music teacher named Katherine Kennicott Davis. Her version of this song was called “The Carol of the Drum”. It was inspired by a French carol known as “Patapan”, written in the 1700s by a composer named Bernard de la Monnoye. In Monnoye’s song, he wrote of shepherds playing the fife and drum as a way of acknowledging the birth of the Baby Jesus. “Patapan” is considered a carol because it speaks of the reaction of local shepherds and places common instruments of the day in their hands. Religious scholars view the actions depicted in “Patapan” to be historically accurate in the sense that the story of the Nativity speaks of shepherds being informed by an angel about the special birth and because the instruments used were of a kind used back centuries ago. However, these same religious scholars do not consider “The Carol of the Drum” to be an official carol because it is not historically accurate in what its lyrics depict. These scholars state that there is no biblical account anywhere that states that a child appeared by the manger with a drum and played for the newborn Babe. Thus, because the story that became “The Little Drummer Boy” introduces a fictionalized version of historical events, it has been declared as merely a secular Christmas song even though it talks about the Nativity scene.

Regardless of what religious scholars may or may not think, the story of “The Little Drummer Boy” has been a popular one ever since it was first released. Many consider its message of humility and acceptance as being one of the best examples of the true meaning of Christmas. Katherine Kennicott Davis was inspired by the idea of the drumbeat pattern that was present in the French carol “Patapan”. The notion of a drumbeat representing a heartbeat is a fundamental notion of many cultures. Consequently, drumming has always held a spiritual element to it, regardless of when and where it is played. In purely musical terms, a drumbeat provides a rhythmic foundation upon which to build a lyrical story. Thus, in 1940 when Katherine Kennicott Davis was first mulling the lyrics and melody to “Patapan” in her head, she was struck by the “pa-rum-pum-pum” patterning. Her heart was also touched by the idea of humble people daring to approach the Son of God. The more she thought about the drum pattern and the idea of a humble drummer in the stable with the Baby Jesus, the more the story of an innocent child drumming in the presence of the Baby Jesus came into her mind. In time, she created the words and music for a choral composition that she intended for choirs and just like that “The Carol of the Drum” was born. 

A decade or so later, a new musical arrangement was created by a man named Jack Halloran. His musical alterations changed the song into something more recognizable to modern audiences. However, there were three distinct cover versions recorded that have caused “The Little Drummer Boy” to shoot into the stratosphere of popularity when it comes to cherished Christmas songs. The first popular recording of “The Little Drummer Boy” was by a man named Harry Simeone and a choir known as the Harry Simeone Chorale. Their version of this song was released in 1958. When you hear the “classic” version of “The Little Drummer Boy” on the radio or a streaming playlist, chances are you are listening to the Harry Simeone Chorale version. It was the first great recording of this Christmas song. 

The second famous cover version of this holiday tune was by an Austrian family known in America as the Trapp Family Singers. This singing family had emigrated from Austria to escape the Nazis during WWII. Back in Austria, they were known as the Von Trapp Family Singers. If that name sounds familiar, it should. The story of how the Von Trapp family eluded the Nazis after the annexation of Austria at the beginning of WWII formed the basis of one of the most popular and successful musicals of all time called The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. In real life, the Von Trapps came to America and decided that continuing with their singing career was the surest way to become successful in their new homeland. They were advised to drop the “Von” from their name to make them sound “more American” and less European. One of the very first songs that the newly minted Trapp Family Singers recorded and released was “The Little Drummer Boy”. Their version was a big hit in America and was a song that they sang while on tour for many years to come.

The third and final well known cover version was recorded live on a television programme that was being hosted by the legendary singer Bing Crosby called Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas in 1977. What made this version so special was the fact that Bing Crosby (who was a very buttoned-down, sweater wearing, pipe smoking, father figure) performed a duet with a rising music sensation at the time known as David Bowie (who couldn’t have been further in image from Bing Crosby if they had tried). The juxtaposition of the older Crosby partnered with the more modern, flamboyant, gender-bending Bowie couldn’t have been generationally greater. And yet, when the dulcet tones of Bing Crosby began to give voice to “The Little Drummer Boy”, David Bowie’s equally rich timbre proved the perfect complement as he began to sing “Peace on Earth”. When the duet was over, a bridge had been built between the generations. This duet has become just as revered as the original Harry Simeone Chorale version ever was. It just goes to show how a song can be completely reinterpreted in the hands of talented performers and end up retaining the warm spirituality of the original while bringing with it a totally fresh perspective. 

Whether or not you consider “The Little Drummer Boy” to be a carol, the fact remains that it has become a standard of the holiday season. Its message of innocence and humility being enough to earn the praise of the Son of God has resonated down through the years since it was first released during the darkest of times in WWII. Do you have a favourite version? I have always liked the classic Harry Simeone Chorale take on the song but I love the Bowie/Crosby duet, too. I am happy that the Von Trapp family reached safer shores and were able to escape the ruthless clutches of those dastardly Nazis. That they opted to release as their first American single a song that centers on children and innocence and the humble yet life-affirming power of music says a lot about the character that they possessed as a familial unit. “The Carol of the Drum” which isn’t a carol at all as it turns out, is still a song that gets an annual airing in my home. I am thankful to Katherine Kennicott Davis for composing the original version upon which all subsequent versions of the song are based. I also think it is interesting (at least to me) that she shares the exact same initials as did my wife, who was also a Davis before becoming a MacInnes after we were married. Now I have yet another reason for liking “The Carol of the Drum” aka “The Little Drummer Boy”, not that I needed it. Pa rum pum pum pum, indeed!

The link to the video of the original French version of “Patapan” by Bernard de la Monnoye can be found here.

The link to the video for the Katherine Kennicott Davis song “The Carol of the Drum” can be found here.

The link to the video for the Harry Simeone Chorale version of “The Little Drummer Boy” can be found here.     

The link to the video of the Trapp Family Singers version of “The Little Drummer Boy” can be found here.

The link to the video for the David Bowie/Bing Crosby duet of “Peace on Earth”/”The Little Drummer Boy” can be found here. For your additional viewing pleasure, here are Will Farrell and John C. Reilly with what was intended as a parody but is actually a beautiful tribute to the original Crosby/Bowie duet…at least, right up until the song ends. Lol!

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