“Little Drummer Boy” (from Noel)
Lyrics by Katherine Kennicott Davis
Performed by Josh Groban, The London Symphony Orchestra
David Foster, 2007
Noel is the first Christmas album released by vocalist Josh Groban and is one of the top best-selling Christmas albums of all time. The second track, “Little Drummer Boy,” features rhythmic guitarist Andy McKee, the London Symphony Orchestra, and Great Highland bagpipes.
“Little Drummer Boy,” a Christmas carol that has been redone many times, becomes a fresh, living story through Josh Groban’s performance. Listeners will find themselves tagging along with a little boy who wants to give the only gift he has—and will experience a deep thrill when that humble gift is presented.
The first verse features Groban as a single vocalist with a simple percussive accompaniment. Listeners hear the little drummer boy tap his way onto the scene without fanfare.
Come, they told me
A newborn king to see
Our finest gifts we’ll bring
To lay before the king
So to honor him
When we come
In verse two, additional instruments and another vocalist join Groban. Listeners get a sense that the lone drummer boy has now attracted the supportive attention of others.
Little baby
I am a poor boy, too
I have no gift to bring
That’s fit to give a king
Here, the instrumental accompaniment builds, and more vocals are added when Groban sings:
Shall I play for you on my drum?
Now that the question has been asked, the offering takes flight with a band of Great Highland bagpipes. Listeners experience the drummer boy’s humble gift becoming a precious treasure, while Groban lets these the thrilling words fly:
I played my drum for him! So to honor him!
Then, as the third verse begins, the instrumentals quietly drop out while Groban continues the story.
Mary nodded
The ox and lamb kept time
I played my drum for him
I played my best for him
In the next line, an unexpected chord pattern emerges, spiraling downward and marking the end of this significant story.
Then he smiled at me
Me and my drum
The bagpipes re-emerge briefly, then fade out as the piece ends. This intimate experience, made holy by its giver’s humility, will not soon be forgotten by listeners.
Reader, what dear gift, however small or quiet it may be, are you bringing the Lord Jesus today?
(Click here to listen to Josh Groban’s performance of “Little Drummer Boy.”)
