The Origins of Christmas Carols
Christmas carols have a long and rich history dating back to medieval times. While the exact origins are unknown, most historians agree that the tradition began with folk songs and hymns that celebrated the Christmas season. Some key points in the early development of Christmas carols include:
Ancient Roots
– Carols grew out of the early Christian ritual of singing Psalms during church services. This practice dates back as far as AD 129.
– Early Christian songs focused on the Nativity, Christ’s birth, and Epiphany. These songs were written in Latin which was the language of the church.
– One of the earliest Christmas hymns was “Veni, Veni Emmanuel” (“O Come, O Come Emmanuel”) which was based on a medieval Latin chant. It dates back to the 12th or 13th century.
The Middle Ages
– Carols started to gain popularity outside of church services in the Medieval era. During this time, they began being sung in the streets and incorporated dance.
– The word “carol” comes from the old French word carole, a circle dance accompanied by singers.
– Caroling became a tradition of spreading cheer door-to-door and collecting gifts wassailing. Some medieval carols still sung today include “The Holly and the Ivy,” “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” and “Good King Wenceslas.”
Renaissance Era
– In the Renaissance period, carols became more elaborate with the development of music printing andIncrease in the number of composers experimented with the form.
– Carols were written and performed in a variety of languages including English, French, German, and Latin.
– Well-known Renaissance composers like William Byrd and Thomas Tallis helped popularize the carol form.
The Revival in Victorian England
– In the 1800s, interest in ancient Christmas music was revived in England. New and old carols were reprinted and became extremely popular.
– Old carols were preserved from the oral tradition by collectors like William Sandys and Davis Gilbert. This helped bring back carols that had been rarely sung for hundreds of years.
– New carols were also written during this time like “Good King Wenceslas” and “O Come All Ye Faithful.”
– Carol singing became a cherished Christmas tradition and carol books were widely printed for the season.
Early Printed Christmas Carols
While carols were part of an oral folk tradition for centuries, the printing and publishing of carols helped standardize versions and increase their popularity. Here are some key milestones:
Piae Cantiones
– The first printed collection of Christmas songs was Piae Cantiones published in 1582 in Finland.
– It contained 74 songs, mostly carols, that were collected by Jaakko Suomalainen from medieval sources.
– This collection helped preserve early Latin carols and tunes like “Good King Wenceslas” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”
Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern
– In 1833, William Sandys released the influential Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern.
– It contained over 100 carols, a mix of medieval songs and new compositions.
– The book helped establish and popularize carols like “The First Noel”, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”, and “Deck the Halls.”
Christmas Carols New and Old
– In 1871, Henry Ramsden Bramley and John Stainer published Christmas Carols New and Old.
– It contained revised melodies and piano arrangements for popular carols.
– This book helped standardize carol versions and embeddings them into Victorian Christmas tradition. Well-known carols included “Good King Wenceslas” and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.”
Early Christmas Carol Composers
While many carols have unknown origins as medieval folk songs, some of the early well-known composers who shaped the Christmas carol tradition include:
| Composer | Time Period | Notable Carols |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Helmore | 19th century | “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” |
| John Francis Wade | 18th century | “O Come All Ye Faithful” |
| James Chadwick | 19th century | “The Holly and The Ivy” |
| Edmund Sedding | 19th century | “Good King Wenceslas” |
| John Stainer | 19th century | “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” |
| William Chatterton Dix | 19th century | “What Child is This?” |
These prolific composers helped shape and standardize many beloved Christmas carols during the 1800s revival period by adapting and reharmonizing earlier tunes. Their arrangements formed the foundation for how we sing many carols today.
Early Recorded Christmas Music
The tradition of Christmas carols was further spread and popularized with the advent of recorded audio technology:
Earliest Audio Recordings
– The earliest audio recording of a Christmas carol was Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” recorded by Sir George Williams in 1888.
– In 1899, the Haydn Quartet recorded “Christmas Pastorale” and “Adeste Fideles” which were some of the first commercial Christmas records.
– In the early 1900s, more carols like “Silent Night” and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” were recorded on vinyl records.
Reginald Fessenden’s Radio Broadcast
– On Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden performed the first radio broadcast which included him playing “O Holy Night” on the violin and singing “Adore and Be Still.”
– This helped introduce carols to a wider audience through the new medium of radio.
Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas”
– The best-selling Christmas single of all time is Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” recorded in 1942.
– It has sold over 50 million copies worldwide since being featured in the film Holiday Inn. Other popular Crosby Christmas hits include “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” and “Adeste Fideles.”
Elvis’ Christmas Album
– Elvis Presley released Elvis’ Christmas Album in 1957 which would become the best-selling Christmas album of all time.
– It contained classics like “Blue Christmas” and introduced new holiday songs such as “Santa Claus is Back in Town.”
– Elvis helped popularize rock n roll style Christmas songs which became radio staples.
Conclusion
Christmas carols have a long, rich history that developed across many centuries from medieval church songs to Victorian revival tunes to commercial recordings. Though the exact origins are hard to trace, we know early carols were linked to religious worship services during Christianity’s early years. As caroling moved from churches to streets in the Middle Ages, Christmas music became part of mainstream culture. The tradition crystalized in the 1800s as new and old carols were published and disseminated. Finally, Christmas carols became engrained into popular culture through early audio recordings and radio broadcasts, allowing these songs to be embraced by generations of listeners around the world. Their evolution illustrates how carols have been a cherished musical tradition celebrating Christmas for over a millennium.