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Christmas Carols: Church
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The collection Carols for Today, by Jubilate Hymns, edited by Michael Perry and David Iliff (Hodder and Stoughton, London/Sydney/Auckland/Toronto 1987). The editors are evangelical Christians who desire to provide both good music and clear Christian teaching for use in worship from Advent to Epiphany. The emphasis is on usefulness for the church today; consequently, there are numerous new carols (13 by Timothy Dudley-Smith) and contemporary settings of older texts. The editors ... link some traditional, secular tunes of the season with contemporary words appropriate for Christian worship. All in all, a marvelous resource, containing more than 180 carols and over 30 pages of suggested readings for use in services. Although this book is out of print, it is frequently available through ABE Books.
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Perhaps the best known Christmas carol is Silent Night, written in 1818 by an Austrian assistant priest Joseph Mohr. He was told the day before Christmas that the church organ was broken and would not be repaired in time for Christmas Day. Saddened, he sat down to write three stanzas that could be sung by choir to guitar music. "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation listened as the voices of the Fr. Joseph Mohr and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar. Today, Silent Night, Holy Night is sung in more than 180 languages by millions of people.
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Singing Christmas carols is a fun and festive part of the holiday season. Whether participating in a choir, church service, charitable organization, or simply enjoying the music at one’s home, having carols enhances the festivities for everyone. Christmas carols have endured for centuries, even enduring a ban for a period of time. They will continue to be a rich part of Christmas tradition for years to come.
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Christmas carols are based on Christian lyrics and relate, in the main, to the Nativity. Christmas carols were introduced in to church services by St Francis of Assisi in the 12th century. As for the word carols, "carol" is a derivative of the French word caroller, the interpretation of which means dancing around in a circle. Carol and carols, eventually came to mean not only to dance but included music and lyrics - hence modern Xmas Carols.
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The old Christmas carols embody the ideals of truly Christmas-themed songs and espouse the sacredness and joyousness of the season of the Nativity. The ideal Christmas song welcomes with harmony in the very air the birth of the Christ child. Christmas carols which used to be part of church services now become part of the religious traditions as practiced in society in the community.
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Carols form a key part of annual Christmas church services in London, where Londoners can celebrate the true meaning of Christmas in traditional style. Christmas Eve services usually take place at St Martins in the Field at Trafalgar Square and at Westminster Abbey.
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