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So at a really young age, I learned there was something about this day that makes people more compassionate. Then you look back at history. During many wars, both sides would stop fighting on Christmas Eve—even the Korean War, when one side was largely non-Christian. It's an incredible day that works magic on the individual and national level.

That's sort of the inspiration behind your most well-known single, right?

O'Neill Yeah, "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24." We heard about this cello player born in Sarajevo many years ago who left when he was fairly young to go on to become a well-respected musician, playing with various symphonies throughout Europe. Many decades later, he returned to Sarajevo as an elderly man—at the height of the Bosnian War, only to find his city in complete ruins.

I think what most broke this man's heart was that the destruction was not done by some outside invader or natural disaster—it was done by his own people. At that time, Serbs were shelling Sarajevo every night. Rather than head for the bomb shelters like his family and neighbors, this man went to the town square, climbed onto a pile of rubble that had once been the fountain, took out his cello, and played Mozart and Beethoven as the city was bombed.

He came every night and began playing Christmas carols from that same spot. It was just such a powerful image—a white-haired man silhouetted against the cannon fire, playing timeless melodies to both sides of the conflict amid the rubble and devastation of the city he loves. Some time later, a reporter traced him down to ask why he did this insanely stupid thing. The old man said that it was his way of proving that despite all evidence to the contrary, the spirit of humanity was still alive in that place.

The song basically wrapped itself around him. We used some of the oldest Christmas melodies we could find, like "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Carol of the Bells" (which is from the Ukraine, near that region). The orchestra represents one side, the rock band the other, and the single cello represents that single individual, that spark of hope.

Christmas Eve and Other Stories was first released in 1996, and now it's an annual bestseller. Was the initial response to the album strong?

O'Neill It was strong out of the box and has gotten stronger every year. The whole thing just came together and became larger than we ever could have imagined. "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" has always been one of the most requested radio songs at this time of the year. And a second single, "Christmas Canon" (from 1998's The Christmas Attic), is also performing well.

Tell us more about The Christmas Attic.

Starling: It's about a little child who begins to lose faith, because as you get older, doubts appear. And then she begins to gain a new appreciation for Christmas by rummaging through a trunk in the attic.

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