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	<title>Biography of Hymns &#8211; The Southern Cross</title>
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		<title>The Story of O Little Town of Bethlehem</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2025/12/the-story-of-o-little-town-of-bethlehem/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Dec 2025 03:15:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[In his annual feature on the background of a popular Christmas hymn, Günther Simmermacher looks at a carol that involves [&#8230;]]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<item>
		<title>The Story behind ‘Away in a Manger’</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2024/12/the-story-behind-away-in-a-manger/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Dec 2024 03:34:54 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Günther Simmermacher’s biography of a Christmas carol &#8211; Everybody knows the carol “Away In A Manger”, but nobody knows who wrote [&#8230;]]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<item>
		<title>The Story Behind ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2023/12/the-story-behind-o-come-all-ye-faithful/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 24 Dec 2023 03:02:20 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[One of the most beloved — and most Catholic — Christmas carols in the English language is also well-known by [&#8230;]]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>The Story of ‘While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks’</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2022/12/the-story-of-while-shepherds-watched-their-flocks/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2022 03:27:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[One might say that the much-loved “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks” was the first Anglican Christmas carol: before its appearance [&#8230;]]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>The Story of ‘We Three Kings’</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2021/12/the-story-of-we-three-kings/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Dec 2021 03:16:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious Music]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Günther Simmermacher’s annual Biography of a Christmas carol Many of our beloved Christmas carols have come from the United States, [&#8230;]]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
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		<title>The History of ‘Silent Night’</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2020/12/history-silent-night/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Dec 2020 03:10:34 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[Translated into 140 languages, it may be the most famous Christmas hymn in the world. Günther Simmermacher looks at the history of ‘Silent Night’.

]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>The History of a Famous Christmas Carol</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2019/12/the-history-of-a-famous-christmas-carol/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Gunther Simmermacher]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Dec 2019 05:39:38 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
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					<description><![CDATA[‘Once In Royal David’s City’ was written as a catechism for children; today it is one of the most beloved [&#8230;]<div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-rss yarpp-related-none yarpp-template-list'>

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</div>
]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<item>
		<title>The history of &#8216;God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2018/12/god-rest-you-merry-gentlemen/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[hazelelponiSC]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 25 Dec 2018 06:00:29 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Simmermacher]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.scross.co.za/?p=38366</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[Once a folk carol sneered at by purists, ‘God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen’ has a profound Christian message. Günther Simmermacher looks at the carol’s history.<div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-rss yarpp-template-list'>
<!-- YARPP List -->
<h3>Related posts:</h3><ol>
<li><a href="https://www.scross.co.za/2026/01/our-churchs-history/" rel="bookmark" title="Our Church’s History">Our Church’s History</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scross.co.za/2024/10/history-shapes-today/" rel="bookmark" title="History Shapes Today">History Shapes Today</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scross.co.za/2024/10/fr-stanley-botha-rest-in-peace/" rel="bookmark" title="Fr Stanley Botha, Rest in Peace">Fr Stanley Botha, Rest in Peace</a></li>
</ol>
</div>
]]></description>
		
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>The story behind &#8216;Hark! The Herald Angels Sing&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://www.scross.co.za/2015/12/the-story-behind-hark-the-herald-angels-sing/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Southern Cross]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Dec 2015 05:00:36 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Biography of Hymns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christmas]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.scross.co.za/?p=19221</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[The composer of the melody of one of the most popular Christmas carols didn&#8217;t want it used for sacred purposes, [&#8230;]<div class='yarpp yarpp-related yarpp-related-rss yarpp-template-list'>
<!-- YARPP List -->
<h3>Related posts:</h3><ol>
<li><a href="https://www.scross.co.za/2023/12/the-story-behind-o-come-all-ye-faithful/" rel="bookmark" title="The Story Behind ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’">The Story Behind ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scross.co.za/2024/12/the-story-behind-away-in-a-manger/" rel="bookmark" title="The Story behind ‘Away in a Manger’">The Story behind ‘Away in a Manger’</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.scross.co.za/2025/12/the-story-of-o-little-town-of-bethlehem/" rel="bookmark" title="The Story of O Little Town of Bethlehem">The Story of O Little Town of Bethlehem</a></li>
</ol>
</div>
]]></description>
		
		
		
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