The first noel the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay-in fields where they lay keeping their sheep, on a cold winter's night that was so deep. It is interesting to observe that the "King of Israel" was first announced to "certain poor shepherds" only, but in the final stanza the phrases "let us all" and "mankind hath brought" remind us that Christ came to redeem the whole world. The repetition of the joyous "noel" in the refrain is equivalent to our singing out "happy birthday" to someone. The sixth stanza urges us to join together to sing praises to God for the marvels of His creation and for the salvation provided through Christ's shed blood. All six stanzas are needed to complete the entire event when the hymn is sung. The First Noel portrays in vivid narrative style the story of the birth of Christ. Songs such as God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, The First Nowell, I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In, and Hark the Herald Angels Sing had their public debut in this songbook. Historical significance in that it was the first of its kind to include many of the songs we now consider classic Carols. The publication of Sandy's 1823 book Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern has The origin of the current melody is uncertain. Sandys (1792-1874), and Davies Gilbert (1767-1839) edited and added lyrics to create the version of the Christmas song we sing today. Finally the Christmas song was published and the Church of England began using it in Christmas services in the mid-1800s. Consequently, “The First Noel” was not used in church services during the first several hundred years of its existence. The early church looked down on peasant songs that they felt lacked the solemnity of true hymns. It was lit on Christmas Eve with the hope it would burn through the 12 days of Christmas ending on January 6.Īt this time carols were thought of as popular religious songs meant to be sung outside the church rather than within. A huge log was cut, hollowed out and filled with aromatic oils and spices. The Yule log was a custom adopted during the middle ages from Norse tradition. This was when the entire village gathered for singing and celebrating the bringing in of the Yule log. The Christmas carol under the English form, "Nowell," became a great favorite for Christmas Eve, especially in the west of England. However, other scholars say that the original is of English spelling, "nowell," rather than the French "noël." The song is thought to have been brought across the channel to England before 1823 by the wandering troubadours. Others claim that it comes from the medieval Latin word "natalis," meaning "birth," which would explain why some people refer to Christmas as "His natal day." There is yet another Latin word could be the source of "noel," the word "novella," which means "news," which corresponds with the idea that the news of Jesus' birth causes great shouts of joy associated with Christmas time. Scholars attest that "noel" is French, and means "a shout of joy" at the birth of Jesus. Over time many people have wondered where the word "noel" came from. It is believed to have had its rise in France during the fifteenth century. I usually try to make these Christmas songs easy to play (but still sound full and interesting) so they can be learned by Christmas.Īlthough no Christmas season would be complete without the melodious singing of this tuneful Christmas carol, very little is known about its origin. This Christmas music for classical guitar may be reprinted, but please be considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt. Copyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved.
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