Christmas Carols

The word carol is derived from the Greek choros meaning to dance in a circle and the old French Corole meaning a song to accompany dancing and the Latin choraula

Oliver Cromwell banned carol singing between 1647-1660, as he thought Christmas should be more formal. As carol singing was banned in churches then the tradition of singing door to door sprung up.

Traditionally carols are sung December 21st -December 25th

St Francis of Assisi introduced Christmas Carols to church services in the 12th century

The earliest known Christmas Song is from the 4th century and was called Jesus refulsit omnium and was written by St Hillary of Poiters

The earliest known English Carol was composed by Ritson in 1410

1719 Joy To The World lyrics by Isaac Watts score by Lowell Mason

1739 Hark the Herald Angels sing written by Charles Wesley brother to John Wesley

1751 O Come All Ye Faithful also known as Adeste Fidelis written by John Francis Wade translated to English by Frederick Oakeley and William Thomas Brooke

1818 Silent Night written by Austrian priest Joseph Moir after the church organ broke and he needed a song that a guitar could play

1849 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear written by Edmund Hamilton Sears

1857 We Three Kings by Rev. John Henry Hopkins

1857 Jingle Bells written by James Lord Pierpont

1865 O Little Town of Bethlehem words are written by Rector Phillips Brooks, Lewis Redner wrote the score in 1868

1916 Carol of the Bells written by Mykola Dmytrovych Leontovych

Good King Wenceslas written by Mr. J M Neale from East Grimstead, West Sussex England to a traditional folk tune. It is about the King of Bohemia seeing peasants on Boxing Day and giving them food and wood.

I Saw Three Ships is a traditional English minstrel song of which there is many variations

Bing Crosby's White Christmas is the highest selling Christmas record. Selling over 30 million copies