“Little Drummer Boy” was written by composer and teacher Katherine Kennicott Davis in 1941 and originally published as "The Carol of the Drum". It is one of the most beloved and widely recorded modern Christmas song, with over 200 versions in at least seven languages. The song has been covered by singers as varied as Bob Dylan, Blind Boys of Alabama, Kiri te Kanawa, and Justin Bieber(!).
First recorded by the Trapp Family Singers in 1951 as “Carol of the Drum”, the song was subsequently recorded in slightly different versions entitled "Little Drummer Boy" by the Jack Halloran Singers and Harry Simeone Singers, and Simeon (and his friend Henry Onorati) claimed joint composer credit with Davis.
The Chorale is glad to join those giving Davis the credit she is due as original composer.