Christmas Carols
Christmas CarolsA carol is a popular hymn, of joyful nature, in celebration of an occasion such as May Day, Easter, or Christmas. The earliest English carols date from the 15th century. The carol is characterized by simplicity of thought and expression. Many are thought to be adaptations of pagan songs. Despite the folk-song character of true carols, many Christmas hymns composed in the 19th century have been called carols. Carols of French origin are called noels. (The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001)
| The oldest printed carol is "The Boar’s Head Carol", printed in 1521 by Wynkyn de Worde in "Christmasse Carolles". | The Boar’s Head Carol |
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While browsing the internet looking for an appropriate tune for the front page to our Christmas site, I came across several versions of the tune "Wassail, Wassail" or "Here We Come A-Wassailing. I have only included three here for you to peruse.
For an extensive list of tunes, a history of the celebrations, traditional and not so traditional Wassail recipes, Wassail beer recipes, and much, much more, go here. |
Here We Come A-Wassailing
Gloucestershire Wassail
Wexford Wassail |
| This beautiful carol, also known as the “Ennsicorthy Carol,” is thought to originate in the 12th century in County Wexford on the Southeast coast of Ireland . Its dance-like nature spreads the contagious joy of the birth as it tells of the journey of Mary, the shepherds and wise men. | The Wexford Carol |
| What was the origin of the Christmas tree? As much as I would like to embrace as fact the oft- quoted story that Martin Luther was the first to set up a Christmas tree (or at least a lighted one), I cannot -- for the story is pure legend. Many years of intensive Luther scholarship has turned up nothing to support it. There is scholarly consensus, however, that the Christmas tree originated in Germany. Indeed, the earliest record of an evergreen tree being used and decorated (but without lights) for Christmas is 1521 in the German region of Alsace. Another useful description has been found among the notes of an unknown resident of Strasbourg in 1605, who writes that "At Christmas they set up fir trees in the parlors at Strasburg and hang thereon roses cut of many- coloured paper, apples, wafers, gold-foil, sweets . . . (By Pastor Richard P. Bucher) I found many versions of this song on the internet. Here are two versions. One in English, the other in German. | O Christmas Tree |
| The words to the carol "Good King Wenceslas" were written by John Mason Neale and first published in 1853. The music is from a 13th century song called "Tempus Adest Floridum," or "Spring Has Unwrapped Her Flowers." The music was first published in written form in Finland in 1582 as part of a collection of songs called Piae Cantiones. It is also used for another carol, "Gentle Mary Laid Her Child." And in case you're wondering, the Feast of Stephen is celebrated on December 26 -- the day after Christmas. . | Good King Wenceslas |
| This is a traditional French carol from Provence written by Nicholas Saboly(1614-1675). Torchlight processions on Christmas Eve are a French tradition. Children dressed as shepherds carry torches or candles as they go to church for Midnight Mass while singing this and other carols along the way. | Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella |
| This is a Spanish composition of the type known as a 'villancico', dating from the middle of the sixteenth century. It concerns the shepherds in the biblical Christmas story and observes, among other things, the 'one born today is actually his mother's father and the one who created her is said to be her son. | Ríu, Ríu, Chíu |
| It wouldn't be Christmas without Bing Crosby. | Christmas In Killarney |
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me.
Updated 11/10/03