Joycelyn Chng
When the Christmas season comes round each year, traditional Christmas carols would be sung in churches during worship services as well as in members’ homes during carolling sessions. These carols typically describe the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and exhort believers to praise and worship the Lord. Many Christians regard carol-singing at Christmas time as an age-old practice. Yet not many actually know how this tradition began. It is therefore timely to consider the historical background of Christmas carols and carolling as we prepare to commemorate the Saviour’s birth this Christmas.
The Word “Carol”
It is said that the word “carol” comes from the French word carole, which is a ring dance where participants formed a large circle, accompanied by a song. This is derived in turn from the Latin word choraula, which means a choral song. It also referred to a player on a reed instrument such as the flute. The Latin word can be further traced back to the ancient Greek verb choraulein, meaning to accompany a chorus on a reed instrument, and which referred to a dance performed to accompanying flute music.
The ring dance was very popular in ancient times among the Greek and Roman people. The Romans subsequently brought the custom and its name to Britain. Thus, the word’s first use in English dates to about 1300 and it was used to describe a ring dance accompanied by singing.
Gradually, the meaning of the word “carol” changed and was applied to the song itself. It had a general usage before it became used specifically for Christmas-related sacred songs. In Europe, carols originally referred to pagan songs sung at winter solstice celebrations, as people danced around stone circles. Later, they referred to music used in medieval church services across Europe. These carols typically opened with a refrain usually sung by a chorus of singers, which was then repeated after each stanza (sung by a soloist). This structure of a carol is linked to the ring dance, where the dancers, or carollers, would go around and sing the refrains, pausing to catch their breath while a soloist sang the stanzas. By the early 16th century, the carol genre became particularly associated with the celebration of Christmas.
The Origins of Christmas Carols
The very first “Christmas carol” can be found in the biblical account in Luke 2:8-14 of the angel of the Lord announcing the birth of Christ to the shepherds. “… 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, good will toward men” (Luke 2:13-14). Luke 2:14 also formed the basis of one of the earliest versions of a Christmas carol (2nd century)—the Latin sacred song Gloria in Excelsis (“Hymn of the Angels”). This song was mandated to be used in the Christmas service in Rome in AD 129. The words have been sung to a wide variety of tunes and the refrain of “Angels We Have Heard on High” is derived from the beginning of the Gloria.
Jesus Refulsit Omnium (“Jesus, Light of All the Nations”) is a Christmas hymn composed in Latin by Hilary of Poitiers, pioneer of Latin hymnody, sometime in the 4th century. It is commonly cited by historians as the oldest known Christmas carol and describes the wise men bearing gifts, arriving at the place where Jesus was and worshipping Him. It is however no longer in use today. The oldest surviving Christmas carol still being sung today is Corde natus ex Parentis (“Of the Father’s Love Begotten”). It was composed in Latin by Christian Latin poet Aurelius Clemens Prudentius in the 4th century to fight against the heresy of Arianism. This carol was later translated into English by J.M. Neale (1851) and H.W. Baker (1861).
The Development of Christmas Carols
Up until the 12th century, Christmas carols were not normally sung in church services. The carols in the Middle Ages were written in Latin, which was not understood nor spoken by much of the population. This resulted in a decline in Christmas celebrations and carol-singing in the Middle Ages. A revival in Christmas carols occurred after the 12th century when in 1223, Francis of Assisi began to put on Nativity Plays in Italy. He saw the potential of the religious song for spreading the Christian message to the uneducated. Thus, the plays were often done in the vernacular and only some of the new carols were sung in Latin. This enabled the people to participate in carol-singing. This resurgence spread across Europe, where in each European country, Christmas carols were sung in their own language.
The Franciscans arrived in England as part of their missionary work in 1224 and brought with them their use of religious song to evangelise the people. Latin carols were translated into English. Circa 1350, a Franciscan friar composed one of the earliest known carols to be written in English. Thereafter, more English Christmas carols emerged in the early 1400s.
In the 15th century, John Audelay, an English priest and poet, composed at least 25 Christmas hymns in English. These carols dealt mainly on the theme of repentance rather than on the account of the birth of Jesus and were not completely associated with Christmas. Although they were not used in the churches, carols continued to be written.
When the Puritans came to power in England in 1640s following the English Civil Wars, the celebration of Christmas and the singing of carols were banned under the direction of Oliver Cromwell. He was an English statesman and ruled as Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England. A Calvinist, he held to the belief that only versified psalms should be sung in the churches. Nevertheless, the carols survived as people still sang them in secret.
In 1660, the Stuart Restoration led to the return of the British monarchy. Laws enacted between 1642 and 1660 were abolished. As a result, Christmas was celebrated publicly once again, and carol-singing resumed. However, carols remained largely unsung in churches. The Sternhold-Hopkins Psalter was used for congregational singing in Anglican churches from the Protestant Reformation to 1700. It was faithful to the original Hebrew, but unpoetic. The New Version of Psalter by Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady was published in 1696 and consisted of metrical versions of the Psalms. A supplement to the New Version was published in 1700 and contained 16 hymns, one of which was the Christmas carol “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks.” For many years, this was the only Christmas carol allowed to be sung in the churches because its lyrics come from the Bible (Luke 2:8-14).
A resurgence occurred during the Victorian era (1837 to 1901) through the efforts of William Sandys and Davis Gilbert, who collected old Christmas songs from villages all over England. Gilbert published two collections of carols, one of which was titled Some Ancient Christmas Carols (1823). “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks” was included in this book. Sandys collected and published the lyrics and tunes to over 100 carols from different time periods and places. It is during the Victorian period that many of the familiar carols of today were written. Examples include “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” “Once in Royal David’s City,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “Away in a Manger.” In 1880, the Christmas carol service was reportedly instituted in Truro by Edward White Benson, who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Origins of Christmas Carolling
It is recorded that John Audelay and a group of carollers went house to house, singing the carols he wrote. This was in the 15th century. And while carols were not really sung in churches after the 16th century Reformation, they were still sung privately. Lancelot Andrewes (1555–1626), Anglican bishop and theologian, supported the singing of carols at Christmas, especially when it was done at home. Carol-singing at the doors of neighbours thus continued to be a feature of Christmas hospitality.
The Development of Christmas Carolling
The custom of singing carols in the streets was popularised during the Victorian period. In the 19th century, carollers started assembling in public spaces and singing on Christmas Eve. These official carol singers were bands of people led by local leaders who had the power to accept money and gifts from the public without being charged as beggars. They were called “Waits” as singing on Christmas Eve was known as “watchnight” or “waitnight.” This was a reference to the account in Luke 2, where the angels appeared to the shepherds as they watched their sheep, announcing the birth of Jesus. The carollers sang for passers-by, who traditionally thanked them with drinks or mince pies. This practice was known as wassailing. “Wassail” is an old English word that means a toast to someone’s health, and it became a way of wishing Merry Christmas to each other. The verb form eventually came to refer to the singing of carols from house to house at Christmas, echoing how the carollers eventually went door-to-door to sing.
Today, carolling is still very much a feature of the Christmas holiday traditions. About 16% of Americans reported going carolling (Pew Research Center, 2017). Tellingly, carollers are described as singing holiday well wishes in neighbourhoods and churches. Carolling is also said to foster a sense of community and is mentioned as one of the most favoured ways for people to get into the holiday spirit. This worldly nature can also be observed in Singapore, where many secular singing groups go carolling in malls and at Orchard Road and the gardens, to “spread joy and Christmas spirit” through the singing of secular Christmas carols in addition to some of the more familiar traditional sacred carols.
The Purpose of Christmas Carolling
Should churches then discontinue the practice of carolling since it has been adopted by secular groups and taken on a worldly tone? It is important to go back to the biblical purpose of Christmas carolling, which can be gleaned from Luke 2:8-14. The purpose is three-fold: (1) To proclaim the Saviour’s birth (v. 11-12), (2) to preach the gospel (v. 10-11, 14), and (3) to praise and glorify God (v. 13-14a). It is certainly a most God-honouring and God-pleasing activity for Christians to engage in. But for the biblical purpose to be fulfilled, we need to sing the sacred Christmas carols that are based on the Word of God and full of the gospel. Then and then only, can we truly spread real joy—the joy of the Lord—at Christmas.
