During the festive season, tradition holds sway. Families and communities come together, while our thoughts return to the securities of childhood. Singing carols and listening to much-loved music are the stuff of idealised memory to which, in troubled times, we cling more than ever. Yet the Christmas story has a radical edge, revealing divine purpose in obscure, risk-laden circumstances. So, in the true spirit of Christmas, we should perhaps set aside custom and search instead for neglected musical treasures in unlikely places.