They could dress a cuddly toy in angel costumes, make their own costumes (after showing them images of the tough manly angels). Words: Charles Wesley, adapted by George Whitefield Tune: Vaterland, in deinen Gauen from Festgesang by Felix Mendelssohn words by Zachris Topelius (1887; Finnish translation by Martti Korpilahti, 1909); music by Jean Sibelius (1895) The words for this carol were written by Mrs Cecil Frances Alexander who also wrote the words to ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’. There is nothing quite as Christmassy as hearing the soaring voice of a treble singing the solo at the beginning of this piece. In fact, the tune has been the first carol sung in the annual ‘Carols from King’s’ service in Cambridge for the last 95 years.

Many English Christmas carols have their origins in the Medieval Mystery Plays of the 16th century, and the Coventry Carol is no exception. The text was originally in five stanzas, although many hymnals now delete the fifth stanza. Stanzas 1-3 are from Montgomery's text, which was inspired by the Christmas stories in Luke 2 and Matthew 2. Stanza 4 comes from another Montgomery carol inspired by Philippians 2. Stanza 5 is a doxology (not written by Montgomery) from the Salisbury Hymn Book (1857). A new work has been commissioned for the Christmas Eve service every year since 1983, and this year Cheryl Frances-Hoad has written ‘The Cradle’, a setting of an English translation by Robert Graves of an anonymous seventeenth century Austrian text. The singing of carols was additionally popularised in the 20th century when Oxford University Press published one of the most beloved carol books, Carols for Choirs. The books in the Carols For Choirscompilation came to be viewed as standard choral texts throughout the English-speaking world and were profoundly influential; according to the composer John Rutter, they "changed the whole sound of Christmas for everybody who sings." Our 12 Favorite Christmas Carols

With celebratory bell-ringing and a cheery chorus of ‘Gloria’s’, it’s near impossible to dislike thiswonderfully festive carol. The tune first appeared as a secular dance tune, in a book on dance written by Jehan Tabourot. Find sources: "List of Christmas carols"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( October 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) Based on a poem by Ayrshire poet James Montgomery who was well known and highly thought of by his contemporaries Shelley and Byron. In the UK his poem is most commonly associated with an anonymous French carol tune, Iris, and his refrain ‘Come and worship Christ the newborn King’ is sometimes replaced with ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo’. Arre Borriquito': letra e historia del villancico". Las Provincias (in European Spanish). 9 December 2015 . Retrieved 24 December 2022. Many Christmas traditions are relatively recent such as Santa Claus and reindeer and bear no relation to Christmas carols. We have reflected this in the unusual and beautiful Victorian Angel Pictures we have included for your pleasure and enjoyment. Today Christmas songs and carols are also fast becoming a tradition.

The use of this hymn in various forms in English-speaking countries is extensive, abbreviations being the rule. Amongst American Hymnals, the Hymns of the Church, 1869, and the Baptist Praise Book, 1871, give the full revised and authorised text of 1825 and 1853. Come Thou Long Expected Jesus” was written by Charles Wesley in 1744 after considering the plight of orphans in his community in light of Haggai 2:7. The hymn was popularized when Charles Spurgeon mentioned it in a Christmas sermon in 1855. The hymn adores Jesus as the one who was “born to set thy people free” and who is “the joy of every longing heart.” (Source: Wikipedia). 4. O Come, Divine Messiah These changes (together with the new title) were retained in his Original Hymns, 1853, No. 239; and must be regarded as the authorised text. By many compilers the closing stanza:— Christians have sung songs about the incarnation of Christ since the early centuries of the Church, but they were more widely sung after the Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther even wrote several carols himself!). Starting in the 1800’s, the publication of books of Christmas songs made them even more popular with people who sung them from house to house or in church (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_carol).Hark the Herald Angels Sing” was originally written by Charles Wesley (who also authored over 6,000 more hymns!) in 1739 and was later adapted by evangelist George Whitfield. Beautiful expressions regarding the mystery of Jesus the God-Man abound in this song: “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate Deity!” We are urged to “Join the triumph of the skies, with the angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” and “Glory to the newborn King!” (Source: Wikipedia) 5 Less Well-Known Songs: Photo credit: Unsplash/AaronBurden 1. In the Bleak Midwinter Another found in the Salisbury Hymn Book, 1857, and others, including the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge Church Hymns and Thring's Collection is:— In this song, Andrew Peterson joyfully invites believers to “come, listen to the old, old story, of the power of death undone, by an infant born of glory, Son of God, Son of Man.” This is the first song in a collaborative album of original Christmas songs called Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tale of the Coming of Christ ( Wikipedia.org). 4. Light of the World Carolling, i.e. dancing around, is practised - probably unintentionally - in Danish Christmas tradition, when a Christmas party join hands forming a chain around the family Christmas tree and walk, dance or run around the Christmas tree depending on the Christmas carol or song sung.

Based on a medieval Latin hymn " Puer natus in Bethlehem", publ. in Danish in the hymn books of Hans Tausen and Hans Thomissøn in 1553 and 1569, resp. The notion of groups of carollers assembling in public spaces was a 19th-century one, according to Oxford. Called ‘waits’, these collections of singers used to gather to perform for passers-by, who traditionally thanked them with tasty offerings of drinks or mince pies. Sargent, Malcolm (23 November 1961). Zither Carol. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-341984-1 . Retrieved 15 November 2017. Contemplative and reverent, “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence” is based upon ancient writings in Greek on Habakkuk 2:20. We are exhorted to “ponder nothing earthly minded” because “Christ our God to earth descendeth” as the “Lord of lords in human vesture.” And, as in so many Christmas songs, we are rightly inspired to sing with the angels: “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia Lord Most High.” (Source: Wikipedia.org)

John Rutter’s Shepherd’s Pipe Carol is recognisable by its jaunty rhythm and flute-like introduction which mimics the sound of pipe music. Rutter actually wrote the carol whilst an undergraduate at university, and it was the first piece of his ever to be published. This tune started off as ‘Le Rose Blu’ by Ciro Dammicco, but became a song about Christ after several adaptations. The song makes no explicit mention of Christmas, but it became heavily associated with Christmas after a cover by Johnny Mathis reached Christmas No. 1 in the U.K. Charts. This uplifting Advent carol was a relatively recent addition to the canon of Christmas music, written by Roman Catholic composer Bernadette Farrell in the early 1990s. It describes the waiting for Christmas as a journey through darkness towards light. Although the tune of this regal advent carol is thought to be very old, its origins are unknown. The text is the final O Antiphon which is traditionally sung on the 23rd December; the final day of advent in Western Christian traditions. : Hear the angels singing, 'Christ is born'.

An American carol with a British tune. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear was written a decade before the American civil war by Unitarian minister Edmund Hamilton Sears. Although a tune was written a year later by Richard Storrs Willis to accompany it, the melody which has become famous in Europe was written by Arthur Sullivan - of Gilbert and Sullivan fame!Based on a poem of three 16 line stanzas, originally for the author's daughter, which was later reworked into singable verses. tune: Michael Praetorius (1571–1621) written originally to the lyrics of Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming.