“The Little Drummer Boy” (originally known as “Carol of the Drum”) is a popular Christmas song written by the American classical music composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis back in 1941. First recorded in 1951 by the Trapp Family Singers, the song was further popularized by a 1958 recording by the Harry Simeone Chorale; the Simeone version was re-released successfully for several years and the song has been recorded many times since.
In the lyrics, the singer relates how, as a poor young boy, he was summoned by the Magi to the Nativity of Jesus. Without a gift for the Infant, the little drummer boy played his drum with Jesus’ mother, Mary’s approval; recalling, “I played my best for him” and “He smiled at me.”
The Little Drummer Boy was turned into a stop motion animated television special that was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions, based on the popular song. It was first televised December 19, 1968, on NBC, and was followed by a sequel in 1976.
