{"id":71891,"date":"2019-12-20T13:08:38","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T21:08:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/?p=71891"},"modified":"2026-01-23T12:59:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:59:13","slug":"the-stories-of-twelve-famous-carols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/the-stories-of-twelve-famous-carols\/","title":{"rendered":"The Stories of Twelve Famous Carols"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When it comes to traditional Christmas carols, separating history from legend can be as tricky as detangling holly and ivy. Looking forward to our Festival of Carols, we\u2019d like to share some of the true stories behind our favorite carols.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The First Nowell \ud83c\udfb6 King\u2019s College Choir Cambridge (Christmas 2013)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1mItWsC8RtM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>The First Nowell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is thought \u201cThe First Nowell\u201d originated as a Cornish gallery carol. During the 18th century, many small country churches in England lacked an organ, so amateur choirs formed to lead singing from the gallery, or balcony. These choirs were often accompanied by small bands, including a bass instrument, and sometimes a number of strings and winds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe First Nowell\u201d was published in in 1823 in William Sandys\u2019s collection of carols from the West Country, <em>Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern<\/em>. This carol frequently is sung in a beautiful harmonization by the eminent Victorian English church musician, composer, and musicologist, Sir John Stainer (1840-1901).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:38px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"O Come, All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) at Westminster Abbey\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/l1wHyMR_SCA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Adeste Fidelis<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the fact that the original text is in Latin, this one is probably not an ancient chant, as it hasn\u2019t yet been traced earlier than the 17th or 18th centuries. The carol first appeared in print thanks to John Francis Wade (1711\/2-1786), an English music teacher who created beautiful calligraphic copies of chant for the use of foreign embassy chapels in London. \u201cAdeste fidelis\u201d was included in Wade\u2019s C<em>antus Diversi pro Dominicis et Festis per annum<\/em> (1751), and it is unknown whether Wade authored the carol or simply copied it. \u201cAdeste fidelis\u201d also appeared in <em>An Essay of the Church Plain Chant<\/em> (London, 1782), an anonymous publication that has been attributed to Wade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The familiar English translation \u201cO Come, All Ye Faithful\u201d was made by priest and author Frederick Oakeley (1802-1880), who served as Canon of the Roman Catholic diocese of Westminster.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Felix Mendelssohn - Hark! The Herald Angels Sing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/viJ6rVrkOhA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Hark! The Herald Angels Sing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHark, the Herald Angels Sing\u201d reached its holiday prominence by a circuitous route. The tune, which originally had nothing to do with Christmas, was composed in 1840 by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847), as the second movement of his <em>Festgesang or Gutenberg Cantata<\/em>. Mendelssohn composed this work for the Leipzig Gutenberg Festival, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the invention of the printing press. Mendelssohn\u2019s cantata, for male chorus and brass ensemble, was sung at the unveiling of Leipzig\u2019s new statue of Johannes Gutenberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I suspect you can hear the music in your head as you read the tune\u2019s original refrain:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGutenberg, du wackrer Mann, du stehst glorreich auf dem Plan!\u201d <em>\u201cGutenberg, you valiant man, you stand glorious on the square!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mendelssohn hoped to publish his Gutenberg tune with English words, but he couldn\u2019t find a text to suit him. In a 1843 letter to Edward Buxton, one of his English music publishers, he explained: <em>\u201cIf the right [words] are hit at, I am sure that the piece will be liked very much by singers and hearers, but it will never do to sacred words\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1847, Mendelssohn directed the London premiere of his oratorio <em>Elijah<\/em>, and one of the alto choirboys was one William Cummings. Little did Mendelssohn know that in the 1850s, Cummings would be the one to attach his Gutenberg tune to a decidedly sacred poem entitled \u201cHymn for Christmas-Day,\u201d from <em>Hymns and Sacred Poems<\/em> (1739) by Methodist writer Charles Wesley (1707-1788), the first line of which is, of course, \u201cHark! The herald angels sing\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Joy to the World (Arr. Hugh Keyte &amp; Andrew Parrott)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/th4vXeuP6zo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Joy to the World<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The text of this carol is actually an adaptation of Psalm 98, from hymnwriter Isaac Watts\u2019s <em>Psalms of David, Imitated in the Language of the New Testament<\/em> (1719). Watts called the poem \u201cThe Messiah\u2019s Coming and Kingdom,\u201d probably not thinking particularly of Christmas or caroling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1836, American composer and music educator Lowell Mason published the text with a tune entitled <em>Antioch in The Modern Psalmist<\/em>. Mason attributed the tune to Handel, but nobody\u2019s sure what Handel melody Mason had in mind. It is speculated that the tune was inspired by the choruses \u201cGlory to God in the Highest,\u201d or \u201cLift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates,\u201d from Handel\u2019s <em>Messiah<\/em>, on the tenuous ground that the melodies of both begin with the same four notes as <em>Antioch<\/em>. It\u2019s also possible that Mason adapted it from a preexisting anonymous hymn tune, as scholars have found earlier tunes published in America which resemble <em>Antioch<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All things considered, Handel might be as confused as anyone about the attribution of this tune.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;O Tannenbaum&quot; Vienna Boys Choir - Wiener S\u00e4ngerknaben\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j9U1gJy8AvE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>O Tannenbaum<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Neither the text nor the music of this song began life associated with Christmas. <em>Tannenbaum<\/em> actually means \u201cfir tree,\u201d not \u201cChristmas tree,\u201d and songs honoring the evergreen as a symbol of constancy have been popping up in German culture for centuries, including a Westfalian folk song called \u201cO Dannebom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1820, preacher and folk music collector August Zarnack published a love song entitled \u201cO Tannenbaum\u201d in which the evergreen fir tree is contrasted with a faithless lover. His poem was set to the German folk tune we associate with the carol, which had first been published in 1799 and which has also appeared attached to a German college student song in Latin, \u201cLauriger Horatius\u201d (\u201cLaurel-Crowned Horace\u201d) and a German folk song, \u201cEs lebe hoch der Zimmermannsgeselle\u201d (\u201cLong Live the Carpenter\u2019s Assistant\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About this time, the custom of evergreen trees as indoor Christmas decorations was gaining steam in Germany. In 1824, a schoolmaster and organist named Ernst Ansch\u00fctz borrowed the first verse of Zarback\u2019s arboreal love song and added two festive verses of his own, which transplanted the song firmly into the Christmas canon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tune of \u201cO Tannenbaum\u201d continues to serve many purposes to this day, as the tune of several American state songs and college Alma Maters.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"O Little Town of Bethlehem \ud83c\udfb6 King\u2019s College Choir Cambridge (Christmas 2013)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LRuXdOb6TrA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>O Little Town of Bethlehem<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Boston minister Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) spent the Christmas of 1866 in Bethlehem. Inspired by his pilgrimage, he wrote the poem \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d in 1868 for the Sunday school at his parish, Trinity Church in Boston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brooks asked his church organist and Sunday school superintendent Lewis H. Redner to compose a tune for his carol. Redner (1831-1908), who was an estate agent during the week, reportedly finished his tune the night before it was sung in church. Known as <em>St. Louis<\/em>, Redner\u2019s tune is still the most popular setting of \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In England, however, \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d is better known to the tune called <em>Forest Green<\/em>. Originally a folk song called \u201cThe Ploughboy\u2019s Dream,\u201d Ralph Vaughan Williams arranged the tune as a setting of \u201cO Little Town of Bethlehem\u201d for <em>The English Hymnal<\/em> in 1906.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Silent Night in German (Stille Nacht) -Dresden choir. (Dresdner Kreuzchor)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aGA6djLsDgs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The author of this beloved German carol was Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), a priest who trained as a choirboy at Salzburg Cathedral. In 1818, Mohr was serving at a little parish in the town of Obendorf, in modern day Bavaria. He had written a poem entitled \u201cStille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!,\u201d and looking for a composer to set it to music, he approached Franz Gruber (1787-1863), organist and schoolmaster at the nearby town of Arnsdorf. Gruber and Mohr introduced their carol on Christmas evening Mass at Mohr\u2019s parish of St. Nicholas: charmingly, Mohr sang and Gruber accompanied on guitar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Various legends have sprung up around this carol, specifically regarding the guitar accompaniment. Mostly the legends suggest that the church organ was out of order and couldn\u2019t be repaired in time for Christmas. Some versions blame a flood, some have a mouse chewing a hole in the leather of the organ bellows. The truth is, songs accompanied by guitar weren\u2019t that unusual in 1818 Germany, so there\u2019s no need to attribute this guitar accompaniment to a rodent infestation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Angels from the Realms of Glory - Mulder (Regent Square &amp; Glory be to God the Father)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/tGKis9yj5sQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Angels from the Realms of Glory<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This text was written in 1816 by Scottish writer James Montgomery (1771-1854), a newspaper editor who was imprisoned multiple times for the radical views expressed in his publications. \u201cAngels from the Realms of Glory\u201d is one of 400-odd hymns Montgomery penned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This carol is popular with several tunes, including <em>Regent Square<\/em> by English law-student-turnedorganist and Henry Smart (1813-1879).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is also sung to the French carol tune known as <em>Iris<\/em>, so christened after James Montgomery\u2019s newspaper, <em>The Sheffield Iris<\/em>. This particular tune is a Christmas twofer, as it also appears under the name <em>Gloria<\/em>, particularly when accompanying the text of our next famous carol about angels:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Les anges dans nos campagnes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/F3kXHrtJ0pU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Angels We Have Heard on High<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is a traditional <em>no\u00ebl<\/em>, or French carol, which may have originated in the district of Lorraine. In French it\u2019s called \u201cLes anges dans nos campagnes,\u201d and its lyrics are a dialogue between the shepherds and women of Bethlehem, who tell the Christmas story and quote the Latin text of the angels\u2019 biblical nativity song, <em>Gloria in excelsis Deo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This carol became popular in France and Quebec in the mid-19th century, and it reached English speakers in a 1860 translation by James Chadwick in <em>Holy Family Hymns<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:39px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Away in a Manger\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/y6KK3o3jAj0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Away in a Manger<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This carol appears to be American in origin, though it first attained popularity mis-attributed to Martin Luther. The text appeared in the March 2, 1882 edition of <em>The Christian Cynosure<\/em>, entitled \u201cLuther\u2019s Cradle Song.\u201d It was accompanied by a wholly inaccurate byline: \u201cThe following hymn, composed by Martin Luther for his children, is still sung by many of the German mothers to their little ones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Martin Luther (1483-1546) did, in fact, compose Christmas hymns, including \u201cVom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her\u201d (\u201cFrom Heaven High I Come To You,\u201d) which he published in 1535 as \u201cA children\u2019s song on the Nativity of Christ.\u201d However, this Luther hymn bears no textual or musical resemblance to \u201cAway in a Manger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like \u201cAngels from the Realms of Glory,\u201d \u201cAway in a Manger\u201d is sung to a variety of tunes. In America it\u2019s best known with the tune <em>Mueller<\/em>, composed by songwriter and organist James R. Murray (1841\/2-1905). In England, \u201cAway in a Manger\u201d is more frequently sung to <em>Cradle Song<\/em>, composed in 1895 by Philadelphia carpenter-turned-church-music director William J. Kirkpatrick (1838-1921).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"We wish you a merry Christmas - John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/L1NlLBDZOjc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>We Wish You a Merry Christmas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This one is a folk carol from the West Country of England. It was sung by carolers, or mummers, as they were called in the 19th century: children who sang carols from door to door, expecting treats in return, such as Christmas pudding (which often contained sweet ingredients like figs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Various versions exist, including this one, quoted as a traditional carolers\u2019 refrain in an 1836 newspaper piece:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>We wish you a merry Christmas And a happy new year, A pocket full of money And a cellar full of beer.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nos galan - John Rutter, Elin Manahan Thomas, The Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6S97IIZXVXM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><strong>Deck the Hall<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDeck the Hall\u201d is a Welsh New Year carol dating from the 16th century, its Welsh title being \u201cNos Galan.\u201d The song gained popularity after it was published in John Thomas\u2019s <em>Welsh Melodies<\/em> (1862), with a version of the traditional text rendered by Welsh poet Talhaiarn (1810-1869), plus English lyrics by Thomas Oliphant (1799-1873). However, the English lyrics weren\u2019t an attempt to translate the Welsh, but rather a new poem altogether. What the two texts have in common is a goodly quantity of beverages and <em>fa la las<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a literal translation of a Welsh version, from <em>A Treatise on the Language, Poetry and Music of the Highland Clans<\/em>, by Donald Campbell, published in 1862.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The best pleasure on New Year\u2019s Eve, \u2014Fa, la, &amp;c. Is house and fire and a pleasant family, \u2014Fa, la, &amp;c. A pure heart and brown ale, \u2014Fa, la, &amp;c. A gentle song and the voice of the harp, \u2014Fa, la, &amp;c.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Deck the Hall - John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lB3uHEcsPZE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>So then, Oliphant\u2019s English version isn\u2019t exactly an \u201cancient Yuletide carol,\u201d but it does reference plenty of British yuletide traditions. Holly was a sacred plant since the time of the Druids, and after Christianity came to the British Isles, the berries were seen to represent Christ\u2019s blood, and the leaves his crown of thorns. The Yule log burning on the hearth through the twelve days of Christmas is another tradition that may have pagan origins. Yule Log rituals include keeping a bit of its wood all year to protect the home from fires and to use in lighting next year\u2019s log.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">For Further Reading<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019d like to know more about the history (not just the legends) behind Christmas carols, check out <a href=\"https:\/\/global.oup.com\/academic\/product\/the-new-oxford-book-of-carols-9780193533226?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The New Oxford Book of Carols<\/a>, edited by Hugh Keyte and Andrew Parrott, which features music, texts and copious historical notes on more than 200 holiday classics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When it comes to traditional Christmas carols, separating history from legend can be as tricky as detangling holly and ivy. Looking forward to our Festival of Carols, we\u2019d like to share some of the true stories behind our favorite carols. The First Nowell It is thought \u201cThe First Nowell\u201d originated as a Cornish gallery carol. &#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":71910,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4909],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-21 04:17:49","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71891"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":108817,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71891\/revisions\/108817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71910"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.allclassical.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}