While thoughts of Christmas music usually turn to carols and choirs, many original instrumental works have been written for the season—including one that spawned a carol of its own.

In this hour we’ll explore some of the most interesting of those works, from the Baroque to the present day, including music by Corelli, Mendelssohn, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Grainger, and Bartok. [Airs Dec. 24 at 5:00 p.m.]