Posted by admin | Posted in Christmas Carol, Christmas Time | Posted on 15-12-2006
A Christmas carol (also called a noël) is a carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas, or the winter season in general. They are traditionally sung in the period before and during Christmas. The tradition of Christmas carols hails back as far as the thirteenth century, although carols were originally communal songs sung during celebrations like harvest tide as well as Christmas. It was only later that carols began to be sung in church, and to be specifically associated with Christmas.
An urban legend states that they were named after a little girl named Carol Poles who disappeared in 1888 in the Whitechapel district of London. According to the legend, the little girl was reported missing around Christmas and many people went searching for her at night. Due to fears concerning Jack the Ripper, the group would sing Christmas carols upon knocking in order to declare their good intentions. This urban legend, however, cannot be true: after all, Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843, fully 45 years before the events in question.Traditional carols have a strong tune and consist of a verse and/or chorus for group singing. They are often based on medieval chord patterns, and it is this that gives them their uniquely characteristic musical sound. Some carols like ‘Personent hodie’ and ‘Angels from the Realms of Glory’ can be traced directly back to the Middle Ages, and are amongst the oldest musical compositions still regularly sung. Carols suffered a decline in popularity after the Reformation in the countries where Reformation settled, but survived in their rural communities until the revival of interest in Carols in the 19th century. Composers like Arthur Sullivan helped to repopularise the carol, and it is this period that gave rise to such favorites as “Good King Wenceslas” and “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.”
Carol of the Bells
Hark how the bells,
sweet silver bells,
all seem to say,
throw cares away
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Christmas is here,
bringing good cheer,
to young and old,
meek and the bold.
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Ding dong ding dong
that is their song
with joyful ring
all caroling.
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One seems to hear
words of good cheer
from everywhere
filling the air.
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Oh how they pound,
raising the sound,
o’er hill and dale,
telling their tale.
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Gaily they ring
while people sing
songs of good cheer,
Christmas is here.
Merry Christmas,
And then you can ring the door bell…
