Try free for 30 days

Gather ‘Round the Sound cover art

Gather ‘Round the Sound

By: Paulo Coelho, Yvonne Morrison, Charles Dickens
Narrated by: Angele Masters, Daniel Frances Berenson, Magda Szubanski, Simon Callow, Dan Starkey, John Banks, Vern

Publisher's Summary

Gather 'Round the Sound: Holiday Stories from Beloved Authors and Great Performers Across the Globe

2017 has been a monumental year for Audible, having just celebrated our 20th anniversary, a milestone that would have never been possible without our wonderful and loyal listeners. One of our major commitments is bringing new and diverse audio experiences to our members, so this year, as our gift to you, we pulled together a collection that reflects a little bit of everything we've been up to recently: a surprising and heartwarming documentary, a selection of stories from our partners around the world, and even some improvised comedic carols we hope will make you laugh as much as they did us.

The lineup includes:

Zip Code 12345

This mini-documentary centers around a peculiar holiday tradition at General Electric's headquarters in Schenectady, NY. For two decades, GE has been receiving thousands of letters from kids - children who think they're reaching Santa Claus. And every year, a handful of GE employees give up their December lunchbreaks to respond to each and every letter.

An Aussie Night Before Christmas, by Yvonne Morrison, performed by Magda Szubanksi

This rollicking rewrite of the famous old poem 'Twas The Night Before Christmas gives the original version a hilarious Aussie twist. Magda Szubanski, Australia's most trusted personality, caries this incredibly fun romp. Kangaroos pulling the sleigh, a beer for Santa, and all the over-the-top Australian lingo, it's everything you'd expect.

The Music Coming from the House, by Paulo Coehlo, performed by Daniel Frances-Berenson

In this magical story from the author of The Alchemist - the master of the modern parable - a disguised king visits a poor village, and what he sees through the window of a house changes his life, and those of the occupants.

The Signal-man, by Charles Dickens, performed by Simon Callow, Dan Starkey, and John Banks

For literature lovers, the holiday season needs a little Dickens. We dug up a story of his that you may not be familiar with, originally published in the Christmas edition of a Victorian short story periodical. Of course, ghosts are involved in this 19th century work told by Simon Callow (Outlander) and Dan Starkey (Dr. Who).

A Very Improvised Holiday Musical

What would the holidays be without some carols? Vern, a New York City-based improv troupe, performs a few improvised holiday songs.

©2017 Audible Originals, LLC (P)2017 Audible Originals, LLC

What listeners say about Gather ‘Round the Sound

Average Customer Ratings
Overall
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7
  • 4 Stars
    7
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    8
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    8
  • 4 Stars
    4
  • 3 Stars
    17
  • 2 Stars
    9
  • 1 Stars
    8

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Starts out well then descended into some kind of hell

The first few tracks were wonderful. I enjoyed hearing the GE Santa Claus story but by the last track, I felt like I was trapped in the worst party in the world. I had to stop it before the end.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.