Brad's Music Room

When Oliver Cromwell and the Puritans came to power in England in 1647, the celebration of Christmas and singing carols was stopped. However, the carols survived as people still sang them in secret. Carols remained mainly unsung until Victorian times. This is when two men, William Sandys and Davis Gilbert collected Christmas music from villages in England.

Before carol singing in public became popular, there were sometimes official carol singers called ‘Waits.’ These were bands of people led by important local leaders (such as council leaders). They had the only power in the towns and villages to take money from the public. If others did this, they were sometimes charged as beggars. They were called ‘Waits’ because they only sang on Christmas Eve. This was sometimes known as ‘watchnight’ or ‘waitnight’ because the shepherds were watching their sheep when the angels appeared to them.

Also, at this time, many orchestras and choirs were being set up in the cities of England. People wanted Christmas songs to sing, so carols once again became popular. Many new carols, such as “Good King Wenceslas,” were also written in the Victorian period.

“Good King Wenceslas” is a popular Christmas carol that tells a story of a king braving harsh winter weather to give alms to a poor peasant on the Feast of Stephan (December 26, the day after Christmas). (Wikipedia)

New carols services were created and became popular, as did the custom of singing carols in the streets. Both of these customs are still popular today! One of the most popular types of Carols services are Carols by Candlelight services. At this service, the church is only lit by candlelight and it feels very Christmassy! Carols by Candlelight services are held in countries all over the world.

via The History of Christmas Carols — Christmas Customs and Traditions — whychristmas?com.

“There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.”

“That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

A Charlie Brown Christmas

It’s hard to beat the animated Christmas specials. When I was a kid I enjoyed Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. However, since its release in 1965, A Charlie Brown Christmas holds a special place in my heart. “Peanuts” was dad’s favorite comic strip. I made him this picture one year for Christmas. I don’t know if it was the characters, its acknowledgment of the true meaning of Christmas, or the soundtrack. Whatever it was, its magic continues to be relevant year after year.

Now that Thanksgiving is over the Spirit of Christmas is everywhere. We decorate our homes, trees, etc. And Christmas music fills the air. Everyone has their favorites. It’s hard to beat the classics like Andy Williams and Nat King Cole. Linda enjoys Amy Grant. But the one album that brings back memories of my youth is the soundtrack from A Charlie Brown Christmas. Let me know your favorites.

The word carol comes from the old French word Carole, a circle dance accompanied by singers. Carols were very popular as dance songs during the 12 through 14th centuries. After that, their use expanded as songs sung during festivals.  Because they are dance songs many Christmas carols are in 3/4 time. In the early years of caroling, it was common to have one lead singer surrounded by dancers who sang the accompaniment. Traditional attributes of a Christmas carol include celebrating Christ’s birth, alternating verses and chorus, and danceable music. Over time, people began referring to any Christmas song as a Christmas carol. Are all Christmas carols carols? I’ll let you decide.

The History of Christmas Carols

Carols were first sung in Europe thousands of years ago, but these were not Christmas carols. They were pagan songs, sung at the Winter Solstice celebrations as people danced round stone circles. (The word carol originally meant to dance to something). The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, usually taking place around the 22nd of December. The word carol actually means dance or a song of praise and joy! Carols used to be written and sung during all four seasons, but only the tradition of singing them at Christmas has really survived.

Early Christians took over the pagan solstice celebrations for Christmas and gave people Christian songs to sing instead of pagan ones. In AD 129, a Roman Bishop said that a song called “Angel’s Hymn” should be sung at a Christmas service in Rome. Another famous early Christmas Hymn was written in 760AD, by Comas of Jerusalem, for the Greek Orthodox Church. Soon after this many composers all over Europe started to write ‘Christmas carols.’ However, not many people liked them as they were all written and sung in Latin, a language that normal people couldn’t understand. By the Middles Ages (the 1200s), most people had lost interest in celebrating Christmas, altogether.

St. Francis’s Contribution

This was changed by St. Francis of Assisi when, in 1223, he started his Nativity Plays in Italy. The people in the plays sang songs or ‘canticles’ that told the story during the plays. Sometimes, the choruses of these new carols were in Latin; but normally they were all in a language that the people watching the play could understand and join in! The new carols spread to France, Spain, Germany, and other European countries.

The earliest carol, like this, was written in 1410. Sadly only a very small fragment of it still exists. The carol was about Mary and Jesus meeting different people in Bethlehem. Most Carols from this time and the Elizabethan period are untrue stories, very loosely based on the Christmas story, about the holy family and were seen as entertaining rather than religious songs. They were usually sung in homes rather than in churches! Traveling singers or Minstrels started singing these carols and the words were changed for the local people wherever they were traveling. One carol that changed like this is “I Saw Three Ships.”

via The History of Christmas Carols — Christmas Customs and Traditions — whychristmas?com.