Iron County Record | 1939-12-21 | Page 8 | The Carols We Sing at Christmas Perpetuate a Custom Which Began Centuries before Birth of Chirst

r rM 4 M The Carols We Sing at Christmas W Perpetuate a Custom Which Began f l Centuries Before Birth of Christ n By y Katherine Ferguson Chalkley Released b by Western Newspaper Union 1 AROL singing In America Ameri Ameri- I CAROL ca at Christmas is the continuance of a custom cus cus- l tom torn which had its beginning J many centuries before the 1 birth of Christ when the Druids celebrated the festival I of Gule in honor of the return of the sun at the winter solstice solstice sol sol- stice and which clung to the rites of the Christmas feast that replaced the ancient pagan festival after the conversion conversion con con- version of the Saxons Anglo-Saxons to Christianity Back Dack in the ages when the Druids gathered about the oaks to cut the mistletoe and offer olTer it to the gods gads the ancient ancient an an- Britons would join hands and dance in circles about their priests singing praises of the deities as they danced These dances came to be called Carols which means Dancing Songs When Christianity came and the Christmas Christinas feast least superseded the ancient feast least of Gule these dancing songs along with other pagan rituals were brought into the Christian church Here fused with Christian hymns they became became became be be- came a substantial part of the ceremonies and customs surrounding surrounding sur sur- rounding the celebration of the Nativity As the centuries passed however how bow ever the word Carol became more and more inclusive until Scam fram the Middle ages down to the present day it has ceased to name only a part of a religious ritual and is the term applied to Christmas songs and poems convivial convivial con can vivial and sacred alike The First Christmas Carol To picture the beginning of the Christmas carols one must im- im agine agane a star lit plain where Inthe in inthe the half gloom are huddled the shepherds and their flocks Suddenly Suddenly Suddenly Sud Sud- denly the sky becomes brilliant the sight night is as bright as day The angels have come to announce announce an an- the birth of Christ From the clouds comes the sound of heavenly voices singing the first Christmas carol Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will toward toward to to- ward men Since music has had always a large part in tho the worship of all aU peoples It was only natural that the early Christians should compose compose compose com com- pose hymns That the writing of Christmas hymns had absorbed the attention of ol Latin churchmen early in the Christian era we learn from the Epistle Epis Epis- tie tle of In the second second sec sec- ond century he wrote In the holy night of the Nativity of ot our Lord and Saviour they do celebrate celebrate cele cele- brate brat church services service and nd In tn them de da do In slog sing the Angells Anella because also on that same ume night lie Jle w. w was declared unto the Shepherds Shepherd by byan byan byan an Angell as a the truth Itself Itsell doth Wit Wit- neue By Dy the Fourth century the singIng singing singing sing sing- ing of Christmas hymns had become become become be be- come an established custom wherever Christianity existed The birthday of our Lord however however how how- ever was not entirely given over to religious ceremonies It was an occasion for so much muche e merriment and good cheer that Gregory who died in in mentioning the feast least of the Nativity cautioned against feasting to excess dancing crowning the doors with wreaths and merry making in general Origin In England In Bede introduced Christianity Christianity Chris Chris- into England and that date perhaps marks the origin of the Christmas songs and poems poems po ems we have today Sax Anglo ons after their conversion showed a great fondness for religious relIgious religious re re- music at the same time timer r preserving their love for their old customs Dearest to them of these customs were their dances Hymns were compo composed ed and when these hymns celebrated the best and greatest of all feasts the Nativity they were sung to dance tunes and danced about abou cribs that were set up in the churches It was during the Tenth century century century cen cen- tury that carols ceased to d deal al only with the Nativity the Holy Family and sacred subjects They came to include festive and drinking songs At this time also al- al aiso also al ai- so there came a curious interI intermingling inter inter- I mingling of the sacred and profane profane pro pro- fane face in songs that were one oneS S J would suppose meant to be strictly sacred in their praises The French Influence t n With William the Conqueror in 1066 1068 there came a tr new influence into the English carol For cen centuries tunes in France it had been the k custom to sing songs in honor ofa of oi t a 4 the Christmas season These I were called Noels and after the Norman invasion the word I ph x 1 h J K v yr hr i f t ii rr a t r rs s sw r. r jt Noel Nowell or Novel was used again and again in Christmas songs By the Twelfth and Thirteenth centuries Christmas carols were flourishing in all all all' parts of Eng Eng- land They were usually set to simple rhythmic melodies with catchy tunes characteristic of popular music One of the early writers mentions this carol which was sung to the tune of King Solomon Even Christ I J meane mean that thit Virgins Virgin's In Bethlem born torn That Iamb Umbe of 01 God that prophet mild mUd Crowned with thorne Two Yuletide Customs Mystery and miracle plays pageants and masques had reached the height of their development development development de de- de- de by the Fifteenth century cen cen- tury Into these performances which sometimes lasted for lor several several several sev sev- eral days carols and drinking songs were frequently Intro intro- It is to the Fifteenth century century cen cen- tury also that several fine carols carols carols car car- celebrating two of the oldest English yuletide customs the bringing in of the boars boar's head to the Christmas feast and the drinking from the Wassail bowl I are attributed Singing a toast to the boars boar's head tead as it was being carried into the Christmas feast is a tradition tradition tradition tion that is probably almost as old as the celebration of Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas on English soil We know that by 1340 the custom had been established at Queens Queen's college Oxford and that it has continued ever since As trumpeters announced announced announced an an- the arrival of the boars boar's head the guests at the feast would rise and sing an appropriate ate song soni The legend of the wassail bowl dates back to the time when Rowena Rowena Row Row- ena daughter of the Saxon king Hengist presented a bowl of liquor liquor liquor to the British king gern with these words king Was king Was To which the king replied heile From that time on Was hell ing became an expression of hospitality anc and good fellowship During the Christmas season when conviviality was at its height groups of gay merrymakers merrymakers merry merry- makers went from house to house and the streets of the towns echoed with Wassail AU All over the town lown Our bread It Is white our ale It Is II brown Our bowl la Is made ol of a ma rim tree Iree To here my good fellow 1 Ill I'll U drink to thee The wassailing bowl with a e toast within Come Corn till nil It up unto the brim brim Come till 1111 It II up Ul so that tl we may all see lee With the wassailing bowl Ill IU drink to 10 thee Carols had their greatest vogue during the Sixteenth century So popular had they become by 1521 that de Worde Warde one of the earliest printers in England was induced to print a collection in that year This undertaking had such a marked success that between the years 1546 1548 and 1552 Rychard Kele got out an edition of ol Christmas songs which contained con can tamed three volumes Directly after these followed a series of collections Ralph Newberry's appeared in 1559 i John Tysdale 1562 Thom Thorn Becan 1563 i Christopher Christopher Chris Chris- Payne 1569 i Moses Powell Pow ell eU 1587 Abolished by Puritans Carol singing had reached its height when the reformation attempted at tempted to sweep England clean of such a sacrilege as the festive celebration of Christmas In the general onslaught of the Puritans carol singing was abolished and holly and ivy were made seditious seditious seditious sedi sedi- badges Neither wholesale decrees nor fines tines and imprisonments could stamp out a custom so popular as the singing of Christmas songs Men and women met secretly secretly secretly se se- se- se to observe the Yuletide and to keep alive its glorious tra tra- tra So when the restoration restoration restora restora- tion came there was a general revival of through of carol singing throughout through through- out England Boys and troops of children would go through the streets on Christmas eve singing the old carols and making their songs pretexts for collecting money They went from house to house receiving welcomes and cakes wherever they stopped Wandering minstrels also belong belong belong be be- long to this period Up and down the land these songsters went At the great Christmas gatherIngs gatherings gatherings gather gather- ings of the squires and tenants their carols were an important part of the entertainment In 1661 appeared a new collection of songs called The New Carols for the Merry Time of Christmas to Sundry Pleasant Tunes The custom of carol singing continued unabated until the end of the Eighteenth century when other interests and practices gradually absorbed it During this century however two of the finest carols that we have today were written Hark the herald angels sing Glory to the new newborn new born kin king Peace on earth and mercy mild God and sinners reconciled I Etc Elc And While shepherds watched their flocks flock by night All AU seated on the ground The angel of the Lord came down And glory lory shone ahone around An artificial revival of carols brought many new and beautiful beautiful beautiful ful ones in the Nineteenth century cen cen- tury Chambers Morris Morris Mor Mar ris and many other poets celebrated celebrated celebrated cele cele- the Christmas festival in inverse inverse inverse verse derived and patterned often olten of ol- ten after the old Latin songs Drought Brought to America Naturally the carols of England England England Eng Eng- land were brought to America along with other customs and ceremonies They never became so popular here as In the Mother Country However since the beginning beginning beginning be be- ginning of the Twentieth century there have been endeavors to tomake tomake tomake make the singing of carols an American Christmas custom In the public schools children were taught hymns and carols In the churches it is often the custom to have a song service Sometimes the choirs go about abou the streets of the towns on Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas eve or morning singing carols carols car car car- as they go Many schools and colleges make it traditional for one class to go about the campus and through the college buildings during the last day before before be be- fore the Christmas recess carolIng caroling carol carol- ing the other classes Whether or not carol singing will ever again have the vogue that it did during the Sixteenth Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries centuries cen- cen tunes is entirely a matter maUer o of conjecture but it is safe sale to say that as long as there is an English English English Eng Eng- lish language there will be men and women women who will wil cherish the theold theold old Christmas carols even though they may express their own fes Live twe spirits in new ones ont's Robert the famous lamous poet of the Seventeenth century wrote about 1650 one of the best best- known mown of all Christmas carols Come bring with noise My merrie merrle men mania boy boyes The Christmas log 10 to the Sting firing While my good dame she he Dirt ye all be tree free And drink to your hearts heart's desiring With last lut brand Light LIht the new block And For Tor good success ucc In his spending On your play ply That sweet luck may Come while the log 10 Is a Drink now the tron strong beere Cut Cui the while white loaf here The while the he meat Is la a shredding For the rare mince And the plums pluma stand Iland by To tin Oil the paste that's a knead kneading In Algernon Charles an n English poet of ol the Nineteenth century wrote one of the loveliest loveliest loveli lovell- est st of all aU Christmas poems and called ailed it itA A CHRISTMAS CAROL Three Tiree damsels In the queens queen's chamber The queens queen's mouth was mot most fair She he a word of Gods God's mother As AI the combs comb went In tn her halt hair Mary that Is of might Bring us IU to thy Sons Son's sight They Tiey held the gold combs out from ber her A spans span's length oft oR her head She he sang ung this song of Gods God's Mother And of ot her bearing b bed d. d Mary most mOlt full of 01 grace Bring us IU to thy Sons Son's face lace When she abe eat sat at Josephs Joseph's hand She looked against her II side aide And nd either way from the short silk band tier Her girdle was w. all aU Mary Mry that all aU good may my Bring us to thy Sons Son's way Mary lary had three women for her bed The twain were maidens clean The tie first fint of them had white and red The third had riven green reen Mary that Is so 10 sweet Bring DrIng us to 0 thy Ihy Sons Son's feet She he had three women for her hair halt Two were gloved and shod hod The third had feet and fingers angers bare She w. w was the he God Cod Mary that land Dring Bring us ua to thy Ihy Sons Son's hand She he had bad three women for her ease The twain were good women The he first fint two were the two Maries Manes The Th third w. w was Magdalen Madalen Mary that perfect Is Is Bring us ua to thy Sons Son's Ids kist Joseph oseph had bad three workers In to his stall llaU To serve lerv him well upon The first drat of them were Peter Peler and Paul The Th third of them w. w was John Mary Gods God handmaiden Bring us IU to 10 thy Sons Son's ken If your child be none non other man mans man's But Rut If it It be very mine min The bedstead shall hall be gold two spans span The silver One Une Mary Map that made God Cod mirth Bring us IU to o thy Sons Son's birth If the child be some lome other man mans man's And If U It be none of mine The manager maner shall ahall be b. straw two spans span kine and kine Mary that made sin cease Bring us to thy Sons Son's peace Christ was wu born upon this wise It fell feil on such uch a night Neither with sounds of psalteries Nor with fire are for light lIht Mary that Is Gods God's I spouse spouse use Bring us to thy Ihy Son s I house The star came out upon the east With a great sound lound and sweet Kings King gave gold to make him feast And myrrh for lor him to eat Mary of thy sweet mood Bring us to 10 thy Sons Son's good oDd lye lie le had two handmaids at his hie bead One handmaid at his feet feel The twain of ot them hem were fair and red The third one wu wa right sweet Mary that hat w. w was most wise Bring us ua to thy Sons Son's eyes Eleanor Far Farjeon eon an American has written this delightful carol called Six Green Singers that thatis is brimming with the old medieval medieval medieval medie medie- val spirit The frost of the moon fell over my floor And six green singers stood tood at my door What do ye here that music make Let us ua come In for Christs Christ's sweet Sake Sk Long Lon have bave ye Journeyed In to coming here Our pilgrimage was the length of the year Where do ye make for I 1 asked of them Our shrine U Ie a stable In Bethlehem What will ye do as a. ye go along Sin Sing to 0 the world In evergreen on song What will ye Y sing for the listening earth One will sing 1 of a brave Mirth One of the Holiest Mystery The Glory of glories shall one aon song be be One