ABSTRACT
On Christmas Eve 1906, aboard the ships plying the North Atlantic routes, radio operators, the newest class of crew-member, were on watch by their Marconi morse receivers. Suddenly, instead of the usual clicks, Handel's Largo was heard, after which a violin played ‘Oh Holy Night’ with a man's voice singing the last verse and reading from the Gospels: ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will’. Christmas wishes were given and a promise to return on New Year's Eve. Then, just as suddenly, it was gone. The listening ships were not entirely shocked by all this, but only because a morse message had warned them to expect their machines to start talking and making unexpected noises.
